Oath of Sacrifice
by SolemnSerpent
Summary: The apocalypse had taken everything from him before. Or so he thought. Now his humanity has been taken away as well, and in his new infected life the horrible dark parts of humanity are revealed... R&R.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is my first time writing a fanfiction, so I'm very, very nervous. I'd love any helpful comments and critique on this before I start posting more chapters. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**~x~**

**Prologue- The Sacrifice**

I tried not to flinch as the screeching, black-blue form of a Hunter slammed against the reinforced glass. It remained there for only a second before pushing off again, leaping about a hundred feet into the air. One of the scientists laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder, but it was cold comfort. I glanced down at my left hand, nervous. Clean, white bandages covered a bite wound oozing grayish-yellow pus, a gift from the Hunter in the room before me.

My sacrifice, according to the scientists from CEDA, would speed up the process for making the cure to the Green Flu. This was a reasonable bargain for my life. I was alone, separated from my family, whom I believe to be dead. I suffered the dry horror of the infection, surviving on nothing but scavenged garbage and stagnant water, always hiding, always running. I lived in Miami, Florida, where the infection had hit the hardest. I remember the city going up in flames as the infected attacked, sowing chaos and confusion as every human sacrifice became another infected soldier. Four weeks of running, hiding, and having to put down stray zombies with a fire ax.

Half-starved and badly sunburned, I managed to stumble upon the border. There, I found the base of the CEDA, and passed their health examination. And then the horror was over. No more hiding in trees, under dead bodies, or in the swamps, silently praying that I would stay alive for another day. The walls were high and thick, and gunmen patrolled back and forth like guardian angels. We began a new life within the safe walls. We survivors banded together and formed our own community, setting up canvas tents for shelter. We started to grow crops. We had medicine. The scientists from CEDA were working on a cure to save the human race. We had each other.

Slowly, day after day, my nightmares of the infected started to fade away. I slept soundly each night, and worked hard every day. I was lulled into a sense of peace, every moment from dawn til dusk spent preparing for the end to the nightmare. And then the infected attacked.

_**~Flashback~**_

We were woken in the dead of night by gunfire and shouts from the walls. The feeling of fear was overwhelming. Every survivor took up arms; every man, woman, and child was armed with crowbars and scythes. Some even had guns. The gunfire continued for around two hours, and then we heard the bellowing shouts. A Tank. We, the survivors, only knew too well what those behemoths could do. However, there was no need for panic. The Tank was struck down by the gunmen. The gunfire ceased. A quiet, sigh of relief rippled through the survivors who remained by their tents. Frightened hands that had moments ago been clasping weapons loosened and relaxed. And then the spectacle was over. There was no more need for panic. Everybody started to head back into the canvas tents. Soon, I was one of the last ones still outside. I needed the fresh air to clear my head. And then- It happened.

I was slammed into the ground with such incredible force that I heard the sound of my skull cracking against the hard dirt. For around half a second, I lay winded, staring up at the starry sky, blank shock my only reaction. That is, until I heard the tell-tale screech and a dark figure blocked out the stars. And then the screaming began as the Hunter's claws dug into the soft flesh of my stomach, easily shredding my clothing. I grabbed the claws and shoved them upward, desperately trying to keep the sharp, pointed things away from me. iI don't want to die!/i The Hunter leaned in, letting out a loud hiss, and I could tell the thing was female. It did not like me struggling, and the teeth sunk into my left hand. My eyes widened. _No!_ Gritty tears slid down my cheek as I saw the blood oozing between the Hunter's red fangs. I knew what that bite meant. I was infected.

I heard the sound of screams, some of which were my own. And then the Hunter collapsed on top of me, knocked unconscious from the butt of the gun. The guardian angels were here, but it was too late for them to save me. My stomach was bleeding heavily, crisscrossed tears where the Hunter had managed to get me. Guards dragged the Hunter off of me, one of them snapping commands to get it restrained. Then he paused at the sight of my bitten hand, and his expression hardened. I simply put my face in my hands and started to sob. Everything was over.

_**~Flashback End~**_

I was startled back into reality with the sound of the Hunter's shriek as it smashed against the reinforced glass. The wound on my hand throbbed as I watched. I wanted to see it dead on the ground like the monster it was, but the scientists had explained everything. Capturing a Hunter was extremely difficult, as the things were highly intelligent and traveled in packs of four. This Hunter would become a lab animal, subjected to many potentially cruel tests in order to find a cure. Upon hearing this, I had volunteered myself for the experiments of well. I had signed my own death warrant with a smile. I knew that there would be no turning back, that I would be stripped of my humanity and my mind. No mercy killing for me. No quick bullet in the head to end my misery.

I closed my eyes and took a deep, deep breath. The first signs of infection would show soon. I reached into my pocket and drew out a tarnished photograph, worn down and creased many, many times. A small, black haired girl with bright blue eyes and heavily tanned skin smiled out of the photo. This was my one and only sister, Lily, and I hoped that if she was actually alive out there in the savage world, she would understand my sacrifice. Only the thought of her smile kept me from begging the heavily armed guards just outside the door to put a bullet through my head. I remembered her sad smile as she waved goodbye to me; it was the last time I had seen her. Days before the infection turned the world into a hell, she had left with my father to visit a relative up north. The thought of her, wandering through the streets as an infected was unbearable. I clasped my hands together in a beseeching manner, the way the priests do when they pray. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on the person I wanted to see the most: Lily. I offered up a small prayer to the heavens for my beautiful, innocent sister and her kind, gentle smile. I turned at the sound of a door opening behind me. A petite, red-haired woman wearing a lab coat entered, smiling sadly. "It is time, Alex. Are you ready?" she said, and I nodded, unclasping my hands and walking towards her. I handed her the photograph, my most prized possession. "This is my sister, Lily. If she ever comes here, please tell her what happened to me. She deserves to know," I said, fighting to keep back tears. The woman took it silently; she knew the value of the photograph.

"You have my promise..." she whispered, tucking the photograph away into her lab coat pocket. I gave a small sigh of relief. And then the pain hit. My lungs felt fit to burst, and I hunched over as I started to cough; it sounded disgusting and wet. I covered my mouth with my non-bandaged hand and it came away splattered with blood. The scientist backed up quickly, and then gently took me by the arm. She led me out into the stainless white hallway, quickening her pace as my coughing increased. The infection was spreading already! My vision started to blur, and the gentle light of the hallway became piercing rays of white light. **-Toobrighttoobright.-** A cough rattled out of my lungs, drawing out into a long hiss. Everything started to hurt all of a sudden. The pain started in my toes, and spread upwards with the creeping slowness of poison. I gave a low moan, punctuated with a wet, hacking cough that splattered the white hallway floor with tiny specks of red blood. The pace quickened, and I stumbled to keep up with the scientist as the pain in my legs mounted. It hurt to walk on two legs, and I tried to drop on all floors. My progress was halted by the heavily armed guard, who simply picked me up by the back of the neck and flung me over his shoulder. Blood dripped from my mouth as I coughed again, causing the guard to pick up the pace even further.

"Hurry. He's already changing," the scientist's voice was clouded by fear as she heard my coughs. All I could see was the blinding light of the hallway, but I heard the click as a door was unlocked, and then I was brought into a room. It was blissfully dark inside, and my eyes quickly adjusted.

_**-Nomorebright, gooddarknessgood.-**_ The guard lowered me gently to the floor, where I remained still. It hurt to breathe, every breath rattling in my lungs and throat. My hands were secured behind my back with chains, and my ankles bound tightly. I moaned a little as an ill-fitting dog muzzle was strapped over my face, but otherwise offered no resistance as an iron bar was forced into my mouth and prevented me from biting down.

"I'm sorry, Alex, but it has to be this way." Yes, I knew. I was already less than human by this point, and I did not need the scientist to remind me. It was my choice to be the sacrifice. My vision blurred and swam before me as I felt my body convulse once, twice. My blood was boiling, and I knew I was going to die. Not in the physical sense, but I felt my mind receding into an empty blackness. Frightened, I turned to face the scientist to remind her of her promise to me, but when I opened my mouth all that came out was bloody vomit. My stomach clenched at the sight of the mess and I convulsed repeatedly, each time spewing up more and more revolting bile. After a few minutes there was nothing left in my stomach to throw up, and I choked slightly as the stench hit me. I lay on my side, lungs heaving, trying to block out the smell of the vomit that now stained my pants and jacket. All I wanted was for the pain to stop, but my body wasn't done yet as the infection took root. I started to cough again; wet, shuddering coughs that brought up blood every time and shook my body from head to foot. The taste of the bile remained a constant factor; the iron bar wedged in my teeth was coated in the stuff. Minutes passed, hours even, just a repetition of suffering and agony. Finally, I could not take it; my mind was almost gone. I started to thrash again, cracking my head against the hard floor. Again and again, the feeling of blunt pain in my head slowly dulling the feeling of my body changing, filling me with a twisted bliss. I felt my eyes close as the last of my mind was absorbed by the darkness. _The sacrifice..._ -**Killkillkillkill_, _****freee!~-**


	2. Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

**Author's Note: Well, I got my first review today from a user, and I was filled with joy that they loved the first chapter. Of course there isn't going to be only one chapter; I'm gonna keep writing this as long as I can!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 1- A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing**

I came to in the dark room, lying prone in a dried puddle of my vomit and blood. For a moment, I remained still, unable to comprehend my predicament. I was myself again. I was Alex. No Hunter was in my head, urging me to kill... But why? What had happened? I had felt my mind leaving me, vanishing into that darkness... And the new, savage voice of my infection taking over. I felt puzzled, but it was soon replaced with a sense of relief. There was no trace of that inner beast. A sense of momentary hope rose inside of me; had I survived the infection and proved myself immune? If so, then there was no need for my sacrifice! I could go back into the world of the living, back to the peaceful farm everybody at the camp had set up.  
_And if Lily was alive..._  
I opened my eyes at this, averting the painful, mixed emotions that threatened to overtake my feelings of hope. I did not want to think about Lily right now. I was alive! I started to cry. I was filled with hope again; hope for the future. I had survived the infection that corrupted most of humanity; no, I had defeated it! I tried to give a shaky laugh at my own bad humor, but all that left my mouth was a deep growl and a hiss. It echoed around the room for a moment, and then all was silent again.  
Panic swelled up inside me like a roaring wave, immediately drowning out the fragile feelings of hope and joy. I began to cry harder, and then tried to cry out for help. Someone had to hear it; my desperate cry for someone, anyone to tell me I was not a Special Infected. But my pleading words were twisted into a horrible cacophony of ear-splitting shrieks, wails, and growls. These sounds bounced back off the walls towards me, shattering the illusion that I had fooled myself into believing. I had not beaten the infection. Though I had my mind intact, there was one thing that was clear. I was a **monster**.

All the pent up emotions of despair I let loose in a long, harsh howl. I howled my misery to the silent, dark walls, until my throat was raw and dry and all I could manage was a weak, continuous moan. I could feel the changes in my body now, more apparent than ever. The claws that now protruded out of my deadened hands and toes; the elongated teeth remade to easily pierce flesh; the strong, inhuman muscles in my legs were now painfully obvious. I was no longer Alex; I was the Hunter. This thought was too much to bear. I curled up in a tight ball, trying to make my body as small as possible while ignoring the complaints of my bound limbs as I forced the deadened joints to move again. I closed my eyes, hoping that some form of rest would come. Sleep, death, anything that would end this nightmare.

_**-Preyapproaches,hidepouncekillkillkill-**_ My eyes snapped open as the rapid, barely coherent thoughts of the Hunter flitted across my mind, causing a small surge of panic as it intruded on the outer fringes of my conscious self. The panic remained for only a short while, and then weariness replaced it. I was already suffering, trapped in the body of a monster and unable to change back. And now I had the Hunter inside my mind as well, urging me to unleash an inner predatory urge. I sighed, opening my eyes again only to find the blank, dark wall a few feet away from my face. I paused for a moment, and then considered the Hunter's words. Prey? It was true, I could smell something strange besides the vomit and blood. It took me a few moments to realize what exactly I was smelling. Humans. I was smelling humans. Were they coming closer? Lifting my head off of the ground, I sniffed the air quickly. Yes, the scent was growing stronger by the second. A distant sound of boots scuffing against the ground reached my ears.

_**-******__KILLkillkillkillkillkill!,killkillKILLKILLKILL!-_ The Hunter's thoughts were intruding farther into my mind; a predatory instinct that came with my new body. My body twitched at the thought of killing; the pounce, the screams of the prey as it tried to escape, my sharp claws swiftly sinking into warm flesh... And then I rejected that thought as soon as possible, driving back the Hunter to the fringes of my mind. I panted, gasping for breath as the sound of footsteps grew closer and closer. How could I have thought of killing like that? The people out there were human! I couldn't just kill them because of my new body! I started to moan quietly to myself, suddenly terrified. I wasn't firmly in charge of my own mind. Alex could easily be replaced by the Hunter, and then... My moaning grew loader, punctuated by hisses as my eyes started to leak tears again. I didn't want to think about that possibility. I returned to my former curled-up position, rocking back and forth slowly while the footsteps grew louder and louder.  
A knock on the door startled me, and I slowly rotated my body so that I would face the door, chains clinking loudly as I did so.

_'Is it awake yet? Has it finally transformed?'_

It was the scientist lady who had taken Lily's photograph! But her voice was strange; it grated on my nerves and my mind. I wanted her to stop; the sound hurt my sensitive ears. I tried to tell her that I could hear her, but all that left my mouth was a snarl and a growl. There was a small pause, and then a click as the door to the dark room was unlocked. As the door opened, all I had was the Hunter's warning echoing in my mind before I began to scream.

_**-******__Nonononono,****__ lightbadlightpain!needdarkneedhide_**_!_**-The light hurt so much! Just a mere glimpse of the painful white light seared my eyes and burned my nerves._**-******__PAINPAIN!NOMORESTOPPAIN,PLEASENOPAIN!-_ Screeching, I thrashed around, trying in vain to shield my eyes from the bright light. Finally, I twisted violently and ended up face down on the floor, my eyes leaking small tears as they recovered from the burning light. _**-******__Betterbetter!yesyes,darknessgood_**_,nomorelightnomorepain_**- My thoughts were jumbled as I slowly got over the pain. The guards, however, had different plans. I felt hands around my shoulders, but I remained limp as the guards hauled me to an ineffective standing position. My legs were numb and unresponsive, and they simply collapsed under me. Ignoring the Hunter's screams inside my head to attack, I simply stayed still and let the guards do whatever they please. I didn't move as I felt hands seize my ankles and arms. I was easily lifted into the air, propped up between the two guards.

_'Not offering much resistance, is it? The first Hunter nearly crippled itself; it was trying so hard to rip us apart.'_

I gave a small hiss as the voice of the guard ground against my ears; it hurt to listen to them. The guards quickly looked down at me, and then they moved towards the door. The scientist was staring hard at me, but that wasn't my biggest concern. The light from the doorway was drawing near. I whimpered quietly with every step the guards took. The light... it hurt my eyes so much. I couldn't face the light again. Desperately, I turned my head to the side and tried to grasp the hood of my jacket, which was impossible due to the iron bar between my teeth.

_'What is it doing? Stop that!'_

The guard shook me violently, but I started to twist and writhe in the guards' grip, desperately renewing my efforts to pull on the hood. I didn't care about anything else but the hood; the pain from the bright light was too much to bear. I quickly twisted my head to the other side and started to pull the hood with my teeth. With the iron bar from the muzzle preventing me from clamping down in a bite, I couldn't latch my teeth onto the hood. My eyes flicked up to the illuminated doorway, where the dark silhouette of the scientist stood against the bright, white light. I whimpered, gearing myself up for a massive amount of pain; my struggling doubled. _No! I don't want to go to the light!_ I thought, thrashing against the iron grip of the guards.  
And then I felt a firm hand pull the hood up, obscuring my face and covering my eyes. Good. Now they would be safe from the light. I immediately stopped struggling, and went limp again in the guards' grip, moaning a little in relief.

_'Now, that solves our little problem. Let us continue to the cleaning area. I need to run some tests.'_

It was the scientist who spoke, but it wasn't the gentle scientist who took my photograph and promised me to inform Lily. The cold and ruthless voice sent small shivers up my spine. What was going on here?


	3. Instincts

**Author's Note: Today, I got another review, and now I can't stop writing. XD I'm uploading faster than ever now! I've got this story saved on my computer, all the way up to Chapter 5. I'll upload them all after editing.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 2-Instincts**

I stared up into the dark fabric of my hood as the guards carried me down the long, bright hallway, headed by the scientist. _What did she mean by 'tests'? And why had she adopted a cold, ruthless tone?_ I stayed as still as possible as the guards carried me through an open doorway. My arms and legs were numb from being bound for so long; how could I even try to escape? And then the guards stopped, and the doorway closed. I heard the lock snap shut, and felt a rising sense of dread.

_'Pull the hood back.'_

It was the scientist! I moaned loudly, already preparing for the oncoming pain. Was this the beginning of the tests?

_'Are you sure that is wise, ma'am? The Hunter will go blind if we pull off the hood, not to mention it'll struggle.'_

_'Yes, I'm sure. We need to remove the Hunter's jacket and shirt to get the data we need. I'm going to blindfold it. Hold the head still.'_

My moaning stopped as I heard the scientist's words. I could avoid the pain! I remained still as the guards laid me down on a hard surface. The Hunter was screaming inside of my head as the scientist leaned over me with a piece of black cloth in her hands.

_**********-****Bitebiteclawclawattack,preyescapepounceneedkillkill****-**_

I tried to ignore the barely coherent Hunter as the woman gently folded the fabric around my sensitive eyes. I let out a long, soft hiss as she was tying the knot, causing her to freeze momentarily. I stopped instantly, and then the scientist hesitantly continued. When she finished and drew back, I felt the guards pull the hood back. Instinctively I hissed loudly, trying to raise my arms to shield my face. However, nothing happened. No bright light burned my eyes.

_'Get ready to remove the Hunter's bindings. I have a small amount of anesthetic, but I don't know if it will work on the Hunter. After I have removed the jacket and the shirt, I want you to strap the Hunter's arms and legs to the examination table.'_

**-****Nonononononononono! Traptrapmustescape,mustkillprey-** I was unprepared for the Hunter's outburst, and my body twisted involuntarily at the sound of the scientist's ruthless tone. _What did she have against me? She's the reason that I'm here!_ The guards seized me by the arms and pinned me while I heard the scientist preparing the syringe. I let out a small growl as I feel the sharp prick of a needle into the crook of my elbow, and I tried to struggle. However, the guards held me still until my entire arm felt numb. The numbness was spreading throughout my body, and soon I couldn't even move. My body relaxed as the guards undid the chains binding my hands behind my back and the chains around my legs. The muzzle, however, remained firmly strapped to my face and the iron bar wedged between my teeth. The guards quickly unzipped the jacket and I felt them pull it off. **-****Nononono! Badbadneedprotection, needcoveringslightbad-** The Hunter was agitated, and to tell the truth, I felt the same. The jacket gave me a sense of security; I felt naked and vulnerable without it. The shirt caused some problems because the guards had to lift it over the muzzle, but soon enough I was firmly pushed back and then forced to lay face-up on the table. Thankfully I got to keep my pants; I don't think I could deal with that kind of humiliation.

_'Good. Now we can begin to record data. Let's see... Subject's name is Alexander K. Roberts. He has become an infected; Hunter variety. The process took approximately 13.5 hours for infection to set in and for the transformation to occur. The skin is now a grey color and covered in strange rashes. The subject has also lost enough weight for the ribs to start showing. The nails have developed a harder covering and elongated into claw-like appendages. The toes are the same. The subject's teeth appear to have elongated into fangs. The eyes are a sickly pale-yellow color, with a copious amounts of dried blood crusted around the eyelid. The eyes are extremely sensitive to light...'_

I gave a small groan as the woman's voice harshly grated against my overly-sensitive ears. I shifted a little; all feeling was slowly returning to my body. I shivered slightly; the table underneath my back was icy cold. Chains were wrapped around my wrists and ankles, effectively binding my limbs to the table. The scientist continued to record her observations, unaware of my slight movement. However, I heard the guard inhale sharply.

_'Ma'am! The anesthetic's already wearing off!_

The scientist gasped, and she cursed softly under her breath. Then there was a long silence. Finally, one of the guards advanced towards where I was on the table. I could hear his footsteps coming closer, and I was filled with the feeling of anxious fear and dread. What was he going to do?

_'We could always use the cattle prod, ma'am. Just keep shocking it every time it tries to move.'_

Those words terrified me. _A cattle prod? Seriously? What are they thinking?_ I started to twist and turn rapidly, straining against the chains. However, a certain sound stopped me. It was the sound of a switch being flipped and electricity coursing up and down a metal rod. _No, this can't be happening. It **can't**. Humans are above this sort of torture, right?_ My eyes rapidly filled with tears that threatened to spill over and soak my face.

_'Yes... that would work. If it starts to move, zap it. And don't be gentle, Private. Hunters are pitiless creatures that will kill us the first chance they get. We must be merciless and prove that we are dominant. I've studied Hunter psyche; they respond to acts of force. We must teach it to fear us, Private. And I intend to start now.'_

My breath rattled in my through as I struggled to take a breath. My heart was pounding against my chest as I heard the electric rod being brought close to my face.

_'What do you intend to do, Ma'am? Three of my friends were killed by Hunters; whatever you do, I won't report it to the higher ups.'_

_'I intend to strip it of all forms of attack. Teeth, claws, any weapon that can be use to gouge or pierce. I can't do anything about the Hunter's legs yet, but I will destroy them eventually. And it is going to watch. I will teach it just who is in charge here.'_

**-****Nononomorepainno! badbadfemale!-** The Hunter and I were in agreement. The scientist believed that I was a mindless monster, just another one of the creatures that killed her sister and the private's friends. She had no choice but to be merciless. Still, what she was going to do to me was horrendous and inhumane! I whimpered loudly at the scientist's words, but otherwise remained still as I heard the scientist prepping something in the corner of the room.

_'Dim the lights, private. I don't want the Hunter to go blind before I'm done. That would be too merciful; I want it to witness every moment of my hatred. I want it to cower away in fear every time it sees me.'_

I shivered slightly at her words. Suddenly, the blindfold was quickly pulled off to reveal the scientist's face. I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting the dim light. It was still a tad too bright for my liking, but I was able to see without experiencing pain. The woman was holding what resembled a nail file in her gloved hand, which was uncomfortably close. I flinched and tried to draw back, only to shriek desperately in agony as the guard jabbed the cattle prod into my side. The voltage wasn't that high, to my relief, but it burned like nothing I ever felt before. -**NONONO! PAINPAINPAINPAINPAINHURTS!-** The guard pulled the rod back after a moment, and my shriek dulled down into a low whimper. My side burned where the rod made contact, and it was torment to even think of moving. The scientist advanced again, and my whimper grew louder. However, I did not try to move again. One poke from that cattle prod was warning enough. The scientist drew a long, slim metal rod out of her pocket, identical to the one that was currently in my mouth.

_'Private, if you would be so kind...'_

The scientist didn't need to explain. The guard lifted the muzzle over my head, easily pulling out the rod wedged between my teeth. I gave a small moan as my mouth relaxed; however, my relief was short lived. The slim metal rod was now forced into my mouth, preventing me from closing my mouth or biting. The guard then waved the cattle prod in my face, which was a clear warning not to move or try to get rid of the rod. All I could do was watch as the file came closer and closer...  
And then the pain started. My whimper turned into a full scream as the scientist started to saw my sensitive teeth with the file. **-****PAINPAINPAINPAIN!NOMOREPAINSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!-** My thoughts were perfectly in-sync with the Hunter; we both screamed for the pain to stop. We writhed in agony as the guard jabbed the cattle prod into our side; our screams grew louder and louder as the scientist reduced my teeth to mere nubs and electricity wracked our body. All we wanted was escape.  
**-N****ONONONONONONOPAINPAIN! STOPPAINBADBADBADBADPAIN, KILLMEKILLME,KILLMEKILLME!-** As the scientist withdrew the bloody nail file, my eyes rolled up into my head and I collapsed into blissful darkness.


	4. Monster

**Chapter 3-Monster**

I awoke in darkness, lying prone on a hard, cold floor. As I opened my eyes, I felt a constant pain throbbing in my jaw, as well as a dark feeling of painful humiliation. The room was different from my first prison. I was lying in the center of what looked like a gymnasium, except the bleachers were stripped away and replaced with what looked like reinforced steel. Every few feet or so there were mirrors placed all around the bottom part of the walls. One-way mirrors, so that the scientist could spy on me. The ground was freezing underneath me, and I shivered slightly, wrapping my arms around my freezing body. I was unbound. _Is this a trap of sorts? Why would anyone untie me?_ I glanced furtively around the room, only to spot the entrance. It was a large steel door with what looked like a peephole attached near the top. At the bottom there was a slot, presumably for dropping food in. Other than that, the room was completely barren.

I started to drag myself towards the door, mentally and physically exhausted. My stomach rumbled loudly as well, reminding me of my hunger as well. I hadn't eaten since I was bitten by the Hunter, and who knew how long ago that was. My stomach growled again, and I groaned. And then I spotted something out of the corner of my eye, and I froze. I turned my head to see my own reflection staring back at me from across the room. I crawled closer to the mirror, frightened by my own appearance. I had not been able to see my face since I became a Hunter. As I came closer to the mirror, I felt sickened. No wonder the scientist treated me like a monster.  
I put my hands on the mirror, steadying myself. My skin was a sickly-looking dark yellowish gray color; covered in strange bruises and bumps. My face was the same, but it was my eyes that startled me the most. They were a light, misty yellowish color, and I couldn't see my own irises in the depths of those eyes. Surrounding them were bloody bruises and more bumps. My eyes traveled down to my mouth; the lips bloody and raw. I opened my mouth to examine my teeth, but immediately regretted it. Besides the sharp pain that started up in my teeth, it looked like I had a mouth of broken glass. My teeth were stained red, probably from my own blood, and were mere nubs. The only thing that hadn't changed was my black, unkempt hair, but this was a small comfort. _Why did the scientist do this to my teeth? Is the cure really worth becoming this __**monster**__?_ I looked away from the mirror, unable to bear it any longer. Pain was shooting through my jaw continuously, and my stomach was growling as well. The Hunter was quietly whimpering in the back of my mind, mourning the loss of its teeth and claws. I paused for a moment to tap into what it was thinking.

**-****Noteethnoclaws!findpreykillprey, traptrapmustescapemusthunt!**-  
I returned to the present at the sound of the door at the other end of the room opening slowly. The Hunter went on high alert, and I immediately crouched, following my instincts. I knew what a Hunter could do; the pounce that could go hundreds of feet in an instant, followed by a shriek and the scream of the prey. My mouth filled with warm saliva as I pictured my claws sinking into warm flesh, and my stomach rumbled hungrily. I was hungry, and prey was entering my domain. My legs tensed, building up a tension that needed to be released. I heard the whisper of voices outside of that door, and for a moment, I gave into my Hunter instincts. _-__Yesyespreyapproaching!huntpreyeatprey,yesyesgood!goodmeat..._- Drool dribbled down from the corners of my mouth as I devoted all my attention to the door that was slowly opening.

_Hungry...so hungry... Food..._

And then the energy pent up in my legs exploded outward, and I was propelled across the room, hands outstretched, a shriek tearing from my throat as two figures emerged from the door... And then collapsed to the floor a few feet away, howling as I clutched my ribs. The person I was aiming for had hit me right in the ribs when I was just feet away from their head. It was painful, so painful! My ribs felt like they were broken, and I tried to scoot away from the humans, terrified of more pain.

_'You see, Lieutenant Mitchel? These goggles allow us to see heat signatures. The Hunter can't surprise us, even in total darkness.'_

_'Yes, ma'am. There never was a doubt.'_

The guard this time was different than the one who used the cattle prod, but I was still afraid. I started to crawl away slowly, stifling whimpers as my ribs hurt with every movement. Behind me, the scientist tossed something that landed a few feet away; it was a piece of meat. My stomach growled loudly, and the petite red-haired scientist laughed cruelly as I started to crawl my way over to the meat, saliva trickling from the corners of my mouth. I didn't care that I was being humiliated in such a way; I was hungry, and I needed to eat. The meat smelled like chicken, and I bit hungrily into the tender meat, only to grasp my jaw in agony. In my haste to eat, I had forgotten my filed-down teeth. I whimpered loudly, staring longingly at the meat. The scientist laughed behind me; a loud, cold, cruel laugh that made me snarl at her. Words could not describe how much I hated that red-haired woman.

_'So that is why it attacked us. It was hungry, ma'am. But why isn't it eating the chicken?'_

_'It is simple, Lieutenant. Yesterday I filed it's teeth down to the bare nubs so that if it tried to bite, it would feel excruciating pain in it's mouth. It simply CANNOT eat the meat.'_

_'And why did you do that, ma'am? A simple dog muzzle would suffice if you didn't want it to bite. How is it supposed to eat? What you did here falls into the category of cruel abuse, ma'am.'_

_'Lieutenant, I am not being cruel here. Cruelty implies that I am abusing my power over a creature with **feelings**. This... thing is a __**monster**__, Lieutenant. Pity will get you nowhere in this new world. That creature whimpering on the floor would easily repay your pity by ripping out your throat and feasting on your body without a second thought. However, you are entitled to your share of guilt. After all, it is your fault that the Hunter managed to get over the walls and into the survivor camp. Such a **pity**. __I was going to start conducting tests today, but I will delay my plans for a while._'

And with those words, the scientist turned around and left, closing the door behind her but not locking it. I stared up at the Lieutenant with tear-filled eyes, watching him fearfully. What was he going to do? And then I heard it, muttered so low the scientist could not hear it. The Lieutenant spoke.

_'I'm sorry... Alex. That is your name, correct? The breach in security that allowed the Hunter to get in was my fault. I shouldn't have ever dropped my guard... And now I feel guilty as hell, staring at you now. You may look like a monster, but that doesn't mean we should treat you like one...'_

I stared up at him, silent. I was shocked. _This is the man responsible for turning me into a monster._ I had never thought about how the Hunter had entered the camp. For a second, an ugly feeling of hatred rose in my chest, followed by a desire for bloodlust. I wanted this man to pay for his crime! The Hunter in the back of my head was roused; it screamed gleefully, urging me to strike out, to tear him apart and feast on his blood. And for a moment, I almost gave in. I tensed up, my whimper becoming a growl. I bared my broken fangs at him, defiant still. He was **prey**. I would listen to his screams as I tore him apart, and only then would my desire for revenge be satisfied. -**KILL!Yesyeskillweakmaleprey, feastfeasteatmeathunthunt****!**-

_'Alex... if you are still in there, somewhere... if you can hear me, I'm sorry. Please... Alex.'_

There it was again. My name. The sound of it startled me; I had not expected to here it again. It sounded strange coming from him, as the scientists and the other guards merely referred to me as 'it' or 'the Hunter'. My growling stopped as my yellow eyes met his eyes, full of regret and sorrow. His eyes were light blue; the same color as Lily's eyes. _No!_ I shifted my gaze down to my hands, ashamed. This man, this Lieutenant was the first person to call me by my name. It was a label, something that meant I wasn't just another mindless monster. With that, the dark hatred vanished, replaced by lingering regret and shame. I was no longer angry at the man. But how could I communicate this? Unable to think of anything else, I nodded at him, and he looked taken aback.

_'Can you understand me? Can you...understand what I'm saying?'_

Again, this was in a whisper so that only I could hear it. I nodded again, eager to have the man understand. The man stared at me for a few moments, clearly shocked. Then his expression relaxed, and he let out a deep sigh. He had been forgiven for his crime.

_'Thank you, Alex. Thank you. Gotta report this to the higher-ups... Do some tests or something...'_

The man muttered the last part to himself as he turned to leave, opening the door again so that he could follow behind the scientist. The door clanged shut, and then I heard the sound of locks being put into place. I relaxed, the tension leaving my limbs. The regret and shame were slowly vanishing, to be replaced by a lighter, strange emotion. _Hope._ It was a feeling I had never expected to appear in this new, twisted, insane world of mine. It felt nice, to have a warm feeling inside of me.


	5. A Brief Interlude

**Chapter 4-A Brief Interlude**

I stared at the cold piece of meat, angry and helpless. My mouth was in such agony, I couldn't even take a bite. But my stomach was begging for sustenance. I picked up the piece of chicken and slowly bit down. Excruciating pain filled my mouth, along with the coppery tang of my own blood. I lowered the chicken down, staring at it with tormented hunger. Nothing could describe my hatred for the scientist. I even felt the temptation to give into my inner Hunter, just to see the look of pain and agony when I killed her. But no, I couldn't give into the Hunter. I had to keep fighting it back, or lose the only piece of humanity I had left. Why was the scientist tormenting me like this? What had I done to her? Saliva trickled from the corners of my mouth as I stared down at the meat. It had gone cold half an hour ago, but I was so hungry... Determined, I stared down at the meat and lifted it back up to my mouth. I closed my eyes and took a bite. Horrible, searing pain shot through my mouth, forcing me into a gag reflex. Still, I clamped down on the meat and tore away a piece. Before I could start coughing, I swallowed the meat. Tears leaked down my cheeks as I clutched my jaw in agony. If eating was this painful every time, how could I live? I was going to starve to death... I dropped the meat again and flopped onto my side, only to gasp and clutch my ribs. Every part of me was hurting. I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks, and a small whimper escaped my lips. _Why me? _I settled down, trying to find a comfortable spot on the cold floor that wouldn't aggravate my ribs. I wrapped my arms around my chest and curled into a ball, letting sleep ease my misery.

My eyes opened slowly. My internal clock informed me that it was now night, despite the face that it was always dark in this prison. I remained where I was, curled up in a warm ball, and waited for sleep to take me again. After a few minutes it was apparent that sleep was no longer an option. My stomach growled loudly, and I whimpered again, remembering the pain. Tentatively I swiped my tongue over my filed teeth, expecting pain.  
There was no pain. Surprised, I uncurled myself and sat up. The pain in my ribs had receded, leaving only a dull, aching pain like the kind one would get after a long, hard run. This was good news, but I was curious. _What happened? How did the pain go away so fast?_ I crawled over to the mirror on the wall, and then examined my teeth. Was it just me, or had my teeth grown back? I peered into the mirror, doubtful. No, it was true. My teeth were back to normal! How was this possible? I tore away from the mirror and easily leaped back to the meat; I was starving. I hadn't had anything to eat for days. I tore into the meat easily and nearly choked as I kept devouring the chicken. Finally, it was all gone and I moaned mournfully at the loss. I was still hungry, but at least I had energy.

My head twitched at the sound of voices. They were close, but not close. It was all confusing. A growl built up in the back of my throat as I heard the distinct tones of the scientist. She was near; I could feel. And whenever she was near, that meant one thing. **Pain.** The Hunter inside of my head screamed at me to hide, so that I could ambush her.

**-****Hidehidehide!ambushpreyeatwomanprey,pounceleapsmash! eateateat!-** _Not likely. The last time I tried following what the Hunter wanted, I got smashed in the ribs._ Instead, I tried to remember what the Hunter could do; I had been in too much pain before testing out what I was capable of. The walls were riddled with holes; it would be easy to climb. My claws had regrown as well, to my delight. I crawled towards the wall; opting to move on all fours. It felt natural to do so, even if my view of the world was a worms-eye view. I hooked my claws into the metal of the way and easily pulled myself up. When had I developed all these muscles? I was fascinated at my own strength, but then became solemn as I realized the cost of this power. _If Lily could see me now, what would she think?_ I let out a small hiss, closing my eyes. What **could** I do? If by some stroke of luck Lily wasn't dead... _NO! You can't think like that! She has to be alive; she has to!_ I just hoped she would understand my actions, and wouldn't see me as the scientist did. As a **monster**. _If that happened... I wouldn't be able to go on._

Fury surged through my veins at the thought of the scientist's expression when she hit me with that pole, as she watched me struggle to eat the meat. I snarled loudly, my claws tearing at the metal wall. I left deep, serrated scratch marks in the metal, a testament to my strength. I climbed ever higher, trying to rid my mind of the images of the scientist's cruelty. Before long enough I was at the highest point I could go, right where the wall met the ceiling. From here I faced downwards, gathering energy in my legs. I needed to release this anger, or I would end up doing something I regret. I pushed off easily, letting my powerful legs propel me across the room. I landed on the ground in the center, only to push off and land against a wall. I kept pouncing around the room, occasionally letting out ear-piercing shrieks until my energy was used up. I collapsed in the left corner closest to the door, panting heavily while leaning against the cold metal wall. I regretted wasting so much energy; I was exhausted again. I could still hear the voices in the background, muffled so that I could not make out what they were saying. Trying to ignore the voices, I closed my eyes and relaxed a little, wrapping my arms around my knees and hugging them to my chest. If only I had my jacket, everything would be better...

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and the scientist stormed in, looking furious. Instinctively I cowered against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. _Why is she here? It's still night. She looks angry. Please...please...make her leave..._  
**-****Traptraphidehidehidedhide! ,NOPAINPAINBAD,PAINHURTFEMALE!-**  
She was not wearing the heat signature goggles, but I still flinched as her eyes swept the room, searching for me.

_'I know you are here, Hunter, and that you can understand me. The stupid lieutenant couldn't stop himself from blabbing to his superiors. Now, come out from wherever you are hiding or face the consequences. NOW!'_

The last part was screamed, a sound so harsh I gave a small howl of misery. The scientist was angry. _What should I do?_  
**-****B****ADBAD!PAINPAIN,NOPAINHURTHURT!OBEY-**  
I remained where I was, unmoving, unsure of what to do.

_'Very well. You brought this upon yourself.'_

I watched in horror as her hand reached into her lab coat pocket. What was she going to do? Instead of a weapon, she instead pulled out what looked like a TV remote, except that it was smaller and had only two buttons. She pressed the red one.  
Lights flooded the room; painful bright lights.  
**-****BRIGHTLIGHT!PAINPAINPAIN,BADSTOPPAINHURTS!HURTSLIGHTBADESCAPEESCAPE!-**  
Screaming in agony, I writhed until I was face down in the corner, hands covering my face as tears leaked from my eyes. Blinded, I could not react to the sound of the scientist approaching me.

_'There you are. That'll teach you not to hide.'_

I could hear the smugness in her voice as she spoke, but all I could do was curl up into a ball and whimper softly, still covering my eyes. _Please, make it stop. Make her go away..._  
My silent plea went unheard as I felt a sharp pain in my back. I let out a startled yelp; I was not expecting the scientist to kick me.

_'Stop your moaning! I'm not going to have any pity on you, not now not EVER! Just learning that you are self-aware and intelligent just makes me more angry. It means your kind __**enjoys **__ripping apart and killing humans. I'm going to hurt you so badly you'll be begging to die!'_

All this, barely above a whisper so that the guards outside could not hear her. The scientist was mad with revenge. All I could do was remain limp, trying not to do anything that would provoke her further. _Please...please don't hurt me again..._  
I whimpered softly as the guards entered, hoping that their appearance would stop any further abuse. I heard the chains clinking as they began to tie me up, and I kept my eyes squeezed shut as my hands were forced behind my back.

_'Be careful not to stretch his muscles. I need to run some __**tests**__~'_


	6. The Truth, At Last

**Author's Note: This is the last of the saved chapters I have so far. I'm currently working on Chapter 6 for this and Protecting the Weak. Again, I would absolutely ADORE reviews. It makes me write faster, and keeps me going.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 5- The Truth, At Last**

I was carried out into the bright hallway, the words of the scientist echoing in my ears. _Tests? What is the scientist going to do to me now? Is she ever going to tire of making my life miserable?_ I kept my eyes shut tight, not wanting the be blinded by the lights. I desperately wished for my jacket or for any covering that would shield my eyes from the burning light. I had no idea where the scientist was taking me, and I didn't want to know. The Hunter whimpered in the back of my mind, frightened.

I agreed with my inner Hunter; I was terrified that the scientist had invented another kind of torture to make my life a living hell. The woman was insane; this was beyond revenge! She was torturing me for the sheer enjoyment from it, taking pleasure in my pain. How far would she go?

_'Get him to the cleaning room and hose him down. He stinks of raw meat and urine.'_

I growled at those words, angry. The scientist was the reason my pants were soiled and my breath stank of raw meat! The scientist laughed unpleasantly at my growl, and then I heard the sound of a door being unlocked. The room inside was dim; enough to make me open my eyes to find myself face to face with the scientist. Her brown eyes gleamed in the dim room, and I swore I could see madness reflected in her eyes. I shrunk back, hissing feebly. I did not want to get close to the scientist; she scared me more than an angry Tank. Everything about her unnerved me, and the Hunter inside my head did nothing to help. It was downright terrified of the scientist and her vicious savagery.

I was placed down on the tiled floor. I took this chance to take in my surroundings. The whole room resembled a giant shower. A large glass wall sectioned half of the room off, with a small door set into the left side. Above my head there were sprinklers set into the ceiling, and a large drain in the center of the floor. There was a panel on the other side of the glass with a bunch of buttons. The scientist stood by this, accompanied by the two guards.

_'After you clean him, bring him to Examination Room 2-C.'_

With a smirk in my direction, she left the room in a flash of brilliant red hair. The guards scowled in my direction and one of them pressed a button. The sprinklers started up, reeking of a harsh, chemical smell. The chemical stuff stung as it touched my skin, and it only started to get worse. Soon, my skin was burning as the stuff continued to pour from the ceiling. I started to screech in pain and thrashed around, trying to stop the chemical from coming into contact with my skin. The scientist was behind this; I was sure of it! I started screaming now; the chemicals burned like fire! Behind the glass, the guards gave ugly laughs. I glared at them and growled, but it had no effect. The pain, the pain! It was unbearable! Tears trickled from the corner of my eyes and spilled down my cheeks as I started to cry, unable to contain my misery any longer.

**-Painpainburn!burnburnburnpainpain,nononononononononono!-**

I curled up into a ball as best I could with my arms and legs bound, trying to make myself as small as possible. _Please...just make it stop. Just make it stop..._ I sobbed quietly to myself, ignoring the laughs of the guards as the chemical burned my skin.

And then, it ended. The guards pressed another button, and cool, crisp water poured from the ceiling, washing the burning chemical away. I gave a sob of relief and lifted my face to the shower, my tongue outstretched. I let the water pour into my mouth, letting it wash away the dehydration and the chemicals. I never knew that plain water would feel so good. I rolled around as the shower continued, letting the water wash every part of me that was exposed.

**-Goodgood,feelsgood!waterniceyesyesthirstgone!goodgoodfeelbetter-**

All too soon the flow of water ceased and I was left dripping wet in the shower area. I shivered as it suddenly became cold, but the guards were already barging in and lifting my soaking wet body into the air. I remained limp in their grasp as we entered the too-bright hallway again, only pausing to squeeze my eyes shut. We continued down a hallway for several minutes before stopping at a door. One of the guards knocked, and I heard the scientist answer. The door opened, and the room was blissfully dim again so I opened my eyes. The scientist was staring at me again with a malevolent gaze and a cruel smile, so I averted my eyes. The lieutenant who had talked to me earlier was there, his face downcast and his gaze fixated on the floor. He appeared downright terrified, and he didn't acknowledge my arrival. The other scientist was a young male, around 20 years of age, with black hair and brown eyes. His expression was somber as he watched the guards enter carrying me, but he said nothing as well. He was standing what looked like a giant scanner, the kind hospitals use to scan stuff. I had never really seen one up close, and I wondered what it did.

_'Dry him off, and quickly. We need to send the neural scans to headquarters soon or the higher-ups will have our heads. After that, you are dismissed to head back to your posts. The Lieutenant will take care of things.'_

The guards nodded at the lady scientist's words, and I was roughly rubbed down with a towel that the guard produced from out of a nearby cupboard. I was then strapped down to a table that fed into the scanning machine. I didn't resist, seeing how it would have no point; I was to be scanned no matter how much I struggled. The guards then left, and the scientist's cruel smile widened.

_'Lieutenant, I hope you realize your foolhardy actions of reporting your findings to headquarters. You see, I took the liberty of contacting them and telling them you simply misinterpreted the Hunter's behavior. That... **thing** strapped to the table is clearly not capable of human intelligence! You saw how it attacked us last time. Would any human do that sort of thing?'_

The scientist almost shrieked the last words; the mad glint had returned to her eyes, and her fists were clenched. The Lieutenant looked up, shocked. Surprise and fear was etched on the man's face; he had not been expecting this.

_'Are you crazy? I know what I saw. This boy clearly responded to my words, and I can testify before our superiors as to whether or not Alex is intelligent.'_

At least the man was standing up for his decisions. I watched the pair of them argue, my eyes wide. The other scientist, the black-haired one, had skillfully concealed himself behind the large machine, probably listening in on the conversation. The scientist shook her head angrily, her red hair flying everywhere. With every moment the tension rose, until I could practically sense that there was going to be an explosion of fury from the lady scientist. Then, unexpectedly, all the anger was gone. The scientist had replaced it with cold expression of irritation.

_'This is why I called you here, Lieutenant. We are going to do a scan of the creature's brain, assisted by Dr. Kyle here. This will prove if this Hunter, 'Alex', is intelligent and self-aware to be considered 'human'. This way, even you cannot argue. I will deliver the report to headquarters myself, Lieutenant. Dr. Kyle, if you would proceed.'_

As if on cue, the black-haired scientist stepped out from behind the machine and went over to the farthest left corner, to where there was a computer sitting on top of a metal table. The scientist tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and the table I was strapped on started to move into the machine. Surprised, I struggled against my bonds, but to no effect. I was simply too weak to do anything.

_'Initiating scan now, please stand by for results.'_

The black-haired scientist spoke in a low, emotionless tone, revealing nothing. I could not see what he was doing, but I heard him tap another key and the machine came to life with a loud humming noise. I felt a strange tingling feeling run up and down my spine, but I could do nothing but hiss in discomfort. What would the scans reveal? Sudden anxiety gripped my stomach, and I started to feel sick. _Am I human inside? Or has the infection taken control of everything, including my mind?_

And then it was over. I heard the black-haired scientist type something into the keyboard, and then the machine stopped humming and the table slowly slid back out. The lady-scientist stared down at me, disgust clearly etched onto her features. The Lieutenant's expression was strained, and he looked worried. The black-haired scientist remained silent as a printer started up. I heard the rustling of paper, and the scientist picking something up. And then there was a dry gasp.

_'A-according to these scans, this Hunter's- Alex's brain is fully functional and completely untouched by the infection, with a small exception of the frontal lobe, in which there is a small dark area. This was truly unexpected, as the other test subjects were unable to use of their frontal lobe as well as large areas of their brains. However, Alex's brain is in a perfect state of health, minus that small bit. His memory is fully intact. He is fully capable of thinking and acting like a human being, and he can understand our words as well. Unfortunately, the infection has fried his vocal cords, a tragedy to be sure, and as such he cannot communicate with us using the human language, but he is no monster. A true scientific and medical miracle, this is.'_

And there it was. I was human on this inside; the disease hadn't touched me there! Despite the inner Hunter, despite the lack of a voice, despite my new body, I was considered a human deep down inside! The joy, I could not even express my joy! The Lieutenant turned to the lady scientist, a smug look on his face.

_'You see, ma'am? Alex is a miracle! An intelligent Hunter-'_

His voice trailed off as he looked at the lady scientist's expression. I followed his gaze, and immediately wished I hadn't. Her gaze was entirely focused upon me and was filled with such intense hatred I couldn't hold it for a second. Her eyes contained madness and bloodlust, even as her sour expression twisted back into that sadistic smile.

_'I still won't release him from his cell until I run a few more tests with the psychologist and the animal behaviorist. It is best to stay on the safe side, after all. Now, Dr. Kyle, I will take those reports to headquarters.'_

She flashed a smile that could freeze Hell over before stalking towards the black-haired scientist and nearly wrenching the scanner results out of his hand.

_'Also, Lieutenant, I need you to accompany me on a short walk. I need to inform the headquarters of my mistake, and you need to confirm it. Now, if you would please come with me. The guards will see 'Alex' is taken to a new cell.'_

The Lieutenant flashed an apologetic grin back at me before he followed the red-haired scientist out of the room. Dr. Kyle let out a low sigh of relief, and then headed out the door as well. Seconds later, two new guards entered, one of them carrying a familiar object: my jacket. The straps were undone, and I was chained up again; the guards hadn't heard about my mental state, and I had no way to tell them. I growled in protest, but the guards ignored it. I was a helpless as a newborn kitten, and they knew it. I closed my eyes as we entered the hallway again, and let myself droop into a state of relaxation. _I am human on the inside. The infection hasn't corrupted me yet._ That thought eased my worries. Once it was reported to the CEDA headquarters or something, my life of torment and misery would end. I would hopefully never have to see the scientist again. Everything would be better.

I was taken to a new cell this time, and it was pitch dark when we entered. The guards carefully set me down, undid my bindings, and placed the jacket next to me before slamming the door shut and locking it. I wriggled into the jacket; securely pulling down the hood under most of my face was covered. It was like my second-skin, and I finally felt safe with it on. That business completed, I turned my attention to the room. There was a bucket in the corner for private business, and a simple bed furnished with a blanket and pillow. I did not feel safe on top of the bed; Hunter instinct was screaming at me to make a 'nest'. _A nest… sounds nice right now._ I dragged the pillow and blanked off the bed and shoved them underneath, and then followed suit. I arranged the two so that I was lying on top of them and rested my head on the pillow. I instantly fell into a deep sleep, completely undisturbed by nightmares. Everything was going to be alright.


	7. Prayers

**Author's Note: This is dedicated to Lanny-Sama, my one and only reviewer on this site. I really, really want more reviews, so it would be great if anyone reading this could do that. I love feedback.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 6-Prayers**

The next day, I woke up feeling anxious. Even though I was extremely comfortable lying on the pillow and blankets under the bed, I couldn't help but crawl out and start to pace back and forth across the small room. It took around seven crawl-steps to reach the door and seven more crawl-steps to return to the opposing wall. How long did it take to submit a report? Why was I still locked up? I couldn't shake the sense that something was _wrong._ Why had the scientist given in so easily? Her expression had been of cold fury when she had left with the Lieutenant, but what could she do? Surely such a miraculous scientific discovery could not be kept quiet! I tensed up, my claws digging into the hard floor. I needed something to do, something to take away the anxiety and worry. Before the infection, I had entertained myself with senseless video games and books. When I was fleeing the city, I spent my time staring up into the pitiless heavens and clasping my hands in prayer, silently begging an unseen and unknown god that I would live for another hour, another day. I looked down at my hands, which were half-covered by my jacket sleeves. I stared at the yellowish claws, the gray skin, and the strange bumps. Was there any point in praying? Nevertheless, I awkwardly clasped my hands together and bent my head. I sat in solemn silence in the small dark cell, waiting for something to happen. _Do I dare pray? What should I pray for? What __**could **__I pray for?_

I had no answer to those questions, but I remained still, head bowed. Wait, there **was** something to pray for.

_Please, please. Even though I am considered a monster by many, I can still pray. I only want to see my little sister again, alive and well. I just want Lily to be alive._

I pictured her face in my mind: brilliant sky-blue eyes and warm smile, her black hair done up into a loose, silky braid. All those memories… I clenched my hands together tightly as I started to remember. The first time I showed her how to climb a tree. The time our family went on our first camping trip. The peaceful, long lazy days of summer when I stared up at the azure sky and the golden sun and did not despair at the heavens. _Lily, wherever you are, I hope you hear my prayer and are safe. That is all that I ask._ Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, and I slumped over, unclasping my hands and covering my face. I cried quietly to myself, kneeling over in the center of the room. I no longer wanted the Lieutenant to return. What would I do when he returned? Would I be treated like some freak of nature for the rest of my life? What would the people at the 'headquarters' the scientist mentioned do with me? At this, I paused. Yes, I was considered human, but would the actual humans manage to see past my appearance?

I let out a low growl, a guttural noise that rattled in my throat. I had never thought about my future; I had been focusing on the pain of the present. My new body was meant for the wild, savage outdoors, not behind thick, solid walls and trapped in stone buildings. No, the feral Hunter lingering in the back of my mind longed for the fresh, green woods and the whistling of wind, of terrible and sharp claws tearing apart flesh and skin of delicious prey. In a way, I almost envied the Hunter. It was a simple, brain-fried creature that lived to hunt and kill. I wondered what it would be like to let myself go; to let my worries fade away with my painful memories into insanity… If the Hunter took over, would I be at peace?

_No! I can't let the Hunter take over! This is my body and my mind! The infection is driving me mad; I have to fight it! My precious memories are all that I have left, the only proof that I was once human…_

I whined loudly. I did not want to be alone, alone with my painful memories and the Hunter's barely coherent muttering ringing in my mind. I needed someone, anyone, to save me from my own mind. I crawled back under the bed and curled up as tightly as I could. My head started to hurt, and I buried my face in the hard pillow. I did not want to think right now; my thoughts would always turn towards the future, and that was too painful to bear. I closed my eyes and escaped to the realm of sleep.

When I awoke, something felt different. I was no longer lying down on the soft blankets, but instead of a sleek, hard surface. I opened my eyes to find iron bars mere inches from my nose. The bars hummed quietly as an invisible current coursed through them. They were electrified! Panicking, I backed up a couple of feet before a sharp tug around my neck halted my progress. To my surprise, my jacket had been removed, leaving my torso bare again. Around my neck was a metal collar, attached to another dog muzzle that was strapped to my face a little too tightly. There was no iron bar wedged between my teeth, a small comfort. A chain connected the collar to a ring in the center of the cage, effectively trapping me. I tugged at the chain, wondering how this had occurred. _Sure I would have woken up while this was all happening._ My internal clock informed me that it was now late morning, just before the sun reached its zenith. For a second, I froze, wondering what to do. _'Headquarters' must have surely gotten that report, right? If so, why am I still tied up like this?_ The feeling that something was wrong returned again, stronger than ever. I couldn't shake the image of the scientist looking at me, her face a mask of cold fury. Could she have done something? _I wouldn't put it past her. She would do anything to make me suffer. But how could she bypass the Lieutenant? He went with her to submit that report! _

Feeling a little desperate, I studied my surroundings, looking for any sign that the scientist was near, and that I would undergo more torment. I was in a small cage, only around seven by seven feet. The floor was insulated so that the bars of the cage would not electrocute me. I was in a dark, small room, with one door on the left, and a pair of double doors on the other side. The double doors were solid metal, with a biohazard sign glowing faintly above the lintel and yellow and black stripes decorating the frame. It was an ominous sign. There was a guard in the room with me, breathing deeply as he slumped against a metal folding chair, his arms crossed. Why was I here? The air was stale and smelled dusty, but I could detect a fear-scent lingering faintly. I was not the first person to be put into this cage, nor the first to be kept in this room. What happened behind that biohazard door? I was distracted for a moment as the guard gave a loud snore, and then he shifted on the metal chair, seeking a more comfortable solution. I crept closer to the bars, studying the guard. He looked to be around eighteen years old, a young man just out of high school. If so, he was only three years older than me. His face was gaunt, and there were shadows lining his face. What horrors had he bore witness to?

I turned, growling, as the double doors opened. Another soldier, this one middle-aged and bearing several jagged white scars across his face burst in through the double doors, clearly angry.

_'Did I give you permission to fall asleep on duty, private?'_

With that, he kicked the metal chair out from under the sleeping soldier. The young man fell the ground, banging his head on the metal chair in the process. Groaning, he started to rub his head, and then noticed the older soldier. He looked surprised, and then he quickly scrambled to his feet and saluted the older man.

_'Apologies, sir!'_

'_At ease, private. Your punishment will be decided later. First off, we need to get this thing into the lab. That cage is electrified, so don't touch it or you'll risk either losing some fingers or getting electrocuted. We can wheel it in.'_

'_Yes, sir.'_

I backed away from the bars as the young soldier came closer, grabbing a handle that was placed on the lowest part of the cage. The older soldier did the same, and they managed to heave the cage into the air. I watched as the cage traveled towards the double doors, which were still open from when the older soldier made his entrance. There was a small, dim hallway on the other side, with a multitude of doors leading to other rooms. The cage was taken to the end of the hallway, to another set of double doors with the same biohazard markings. I tensed up as I was taken through these doors as well. What was going to happen?


	8. A Prelude of Things to Come

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the late chapter! I hope you enjoy the things to come!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 7-A Prelude of Things to Come**

I glared up at the older soldier, my face contorted into a snarl as I backed up, my body already uncomfortably close to the electric bars. The chain that attached to my collar was already pulled taunt; I could not back up any further without choking. The older soldier was inside my cage, trapping me in a corner. The younger soldier was in the cage as well, holding a cattle prod menacingly. The sound of electricity crackling up and down the rod made my chest throb painfully. I had not forgotten the feeling of that cattle prod, nor would I ever. I growled loudly, baring my teeth at the pair of them. The old soldier was holding a sort of breathing mask; the kind used for patients who were about to undergo surgery or needed air. This was connected to an air tank by a large plastic tube. I didn't know what was in that air tank, but I was certain that I wouldn't like it. The old soldier moved forward again, reaching out so that he could grasp my hair. I tried to back up again, but stopped dead as the chain halted my progress. I stared up at the old soldier, defiance clearly shown in my face. I was sick, completely sick of being treated like some dangerous animal that had to be chained up all the time. My ribs were showing, and I had the thin, scrawny look of someone who was malnourished. I hadn't eaten in who knew how long, and my emotions were at nerve's end. My temper was rising, prompted by the inner Hunter, and I could scarce restrain myself. I snarled again, trying to edge away from the sparking cattle prod. I was trapped, and I felt desperate.

And then the old soldier did something odd. He lowered his hands and started to back away slowly, ignoring the sound of disbelief from the younger soldier. I paused in my growling and stared at him, searching for any sign that this might be a trap. I crawled forward, letting the chain fall slack and taking the pressure off of my neck. I looked up at the older soldier, suspicious. Why had he moved back? He had trapped me in a corner! I crawled around the old soldier, never taking my eyes off of him as I moved towards the corner that was the farthest away from the two soldiers. When I was merely feet away from the corner, the old soldier stepped forward. In one fluid motion, he snatched the chain off of the floor and gave a hard tug, yanking me towards him. I stumbled forward and collapsed in tangle of limbs, yelping. In a flash the older soldier was on top of me, pinning my limbs to the floor with a strength I had not expected from one of his age. I thrashed about, trying to get free, but it was no use. The old soldier had a grip of iron. Now the younger soldier came closer, placing the cattle prod mere inches from my face. I stopped struggling at once, my eyes unintentionally drawn to the crackling rod. _No, stop! Not the cattle prod!_

_**-Nonononobadstick,badbadbadbadescapeESCAPE!-**_

I felt a firm hand grasp the roots of my hair, and my head was forced to be still. I moaned loudly as the mask slid over my nose and mouth, and then the straps were secured behind my head. _Why? Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why did I have to choose the path of the martyr? Why couldn't I just have opted out?_

I breathed in deeply, unaware that I had been holding my breath since the mask was placed over my face. The stuff coming from the air tank was strange smelling, and it made me light-headed… _Paralysis gas? _I was filled with a sort of lethargy; indeed, I could not feel any energy in my limbs… My eyelids half-closed as the gas took effect.

The old soldier eased out of his iron death-grip as my body relaxed under the influence of the gas, and the younger soldier untangled his hand from my hair. I stared up at him, feeling numb and oddly relaxed. A strange fog settled in the edges of my mind, causing my thoughts to become sluggish and dim. He looked down at me, disgust clear in his eyes as he retrieved his cattle prod and switched it off. The old soldier rose to his feet, dusting off his pants with one hand. And then he pulled something silver out of his pocket, and knelt in the center of the floor. There was a small clink of the chain, and in a deep part of my mind I knew that I was no longer chained to the floor. _I…should..escape…_ I lifted my head up weakly as the old soldier's legs obscured my view.

'_Good. At least we know the gas works. That should keep it down for a few hours or so.'_

I felt arms lift me up into the air, strong but gentle. My head lolled back as the old soldier adjusted his grip on me, and I saw a trail of saliva trickle from the corners of my mouth. I was carried out of the cage, the younger soldier carrying the air canister that was attached to my mask. We had been in a dim, white room, with another set of double doors. We passed through those doors now, the younger soldier opening the door for the old soldier and myself. Inside there were five people, clad in medical scrubs and smocks. They were all standing around what looked like an examination table, the kind used at hospitals for checkups. The old soldier gently laid me down on said table, and the younger soldier placed the air canister on the ground next to the table.

'_I assume everything went according to plan, soldier?'_

'_Yes sir. The gas worked like a charm. The Hunter will be docile for the next few hours, according to Dr. Joseph.'_

'_Excellent. You are dismissed soldier. You may take an extra share of rations this evening.'_

'_Thank you very much, sir.'_

I heard the click of boots on floor as the two soldiers left, closing the double doors behind them. I was trapped inside the room with the five people. My eyes flickered from face to face, barely able to focus as my vision became blurred and my eyelids drooped from the effects of the gas.

_'It has been a while since we had a live Hunter specimen. We'll begin by collecting the data, and then we'll start with the tests. I want to see if it reacts to the new 'cure'.'_

_'Be careful, Dr. Ballanova. We don't want another test subject to die. These ones are the hardest to obtain.'_

_'Yes yes, I know, Dr. Joseph. I am confident in this new serum. First we need to collect samples, before anything else.'_

I wanted to scream; to protest against what was going to happen to me! The gas had dulled my senses; all that came out of my mouth was a steady, quiet whimper. I felt the dim pain as several hairs were plucked from my head, and the piercing feeling of a needle. I panicked, trying to raise my head in a futile attempt to see what was going on. Were they injecting the serum already? I managed to shift my head just a little, and I saw blood draining through a small plastic tube. They were taking samples of my blood! Relaxing, I stared vaguely at the ceiling, waiting. My pulse was taken, my blood pressure measured, and my breathing was checked.

I looked up at the white, blank ceiling, unsure of what to think or do. My mind was drowsy and relaxed, and for some reason I could not hear the inner Hunter snarling in the depth of my conscious. It was soothing, to have my mind peacefully blank and silent. My eyelids started to droop, and soon I drifted into sleep.

~~~~~~~**The Scientist**~~~~~~~~~

I strode down the brightly lit hallway, clipboard in hand, with Lieutenant Mitchell right behind me. I was angry, absolutely seething with rage. Those brain scans… they couldn't be true! That Hunter that had been strapped to the table had been a mere mockery of humanity, and the scans had said that it was self-aware?_ Bullshit!_ The Lieutenant behind me coughed politely, trying to get my attention, and I whirled on him, anger blazing in my eyes.

"Yes, Lieutenant? What do you want?" I growled at him, my voice filled with loathing. It was he that angered me, driving on and on about how the Hunter or 'Alex' was completely self-aware and wasn't a monster. Which, of course, would mean that I was unmistakably tormenting another human being for the sheer pleasure of it. That kind of stunt would get me kicked out of CEDA and left in the wilderness to die, but I never intended for that to happen. No, the slim, silver pistol concealed in my lab coat would end all of my problems in just a few minutes. We needed to find a private room, somewhere where the regular peon soldiers didn't patrol. And there was one such room just around the corner, and then down another hallway. Now, how to get the Lieutenant to follow me? The radio that we needed for the report was a different way…

"Ma'am, I have a few questions that I want answering before we head to the radio room. I want to know your background story, and why it is you hate Hunters so much that you would falsify reports to headquarters, when you fully well know the punishment is being banished from this CEDA base to live on your own. So why go to all this trouble to make life a living hell for Alex?" he asked, his voice calmly controlled and soft. At the mention of the Hunter's former name, I trembled with rage. But still! The Lieutenant had just sealed his fate; I could easily lead him to that room without questions!

"You want answers? Fine, I'll give you answers, but not here, or in the radio room. I'm not spilling my past and my feelings in front of every soldier patrolling here. I know a place where we can go for privacy." I said, letting the anger in my voice drop as a soldier passed by, unconcerned as he was patrolling. I turned back around and started down the hallway, rounding the corner and then taking a left. I knew that the Hunter would be taken to examinations soon, so I had plenty of time to tell the story and then silence the Lieutenant.

I strode to the end of the hallway until I reached an unmarked tan door. I opened it and let the Lieutenant inside, and followed him in. I locked behind me, so that this room was soundproof and so we'd have more privacy. I turned to him, took a deep breath, and began to tell my story.

"It was a month after the infection hit. I still had a family: my husband, Rick, my son, James, and my beautiful baby daughter, Eliza. I was working for CEDA, and therefore my family was guaranteed safety as we were taken to the evacuation centers with an armed military escort. Of course, this was before the CEDA evacuation centers were either overrun or abandoned. It was nighttime when we left our home, and it was raining heavily. The soldiers were on edge, and the vehicle had no roof. Halfway to the evac center we were ambushed by infected. Everyone was taken by surprise, since the infected shouldn't have gotten past CEDA's barricade into the city. There were Hunters, one Smoker, and even a Charger. The Charger flipped our vehicle over, sending everyone but me flying out in different directions. I was trapped under the vehicle, unable to move and too injured to cry out. I could still see though, and I wish to God that I hadn't. My husband was frantically searching for me with Eliza in his arms, calling my name out. James was on the ground, stunned but otherwise okay. Then the Hunters came. One of them pounced on my husband, causing him to drop Eliza. It made quick work of him, tearing apart and eating his entrails while he was still living. His screams lasted the longest. But my suffering wasn't over, no. Eliza had woken up, and her shrill cries were added to my husbands. But her screaming upset the Hunters; perhaps it was too high-pitched for their ears. Another one came down and simply cracked her skull open against the wet pavement, silencing her cries forever. I could see what remained of her tiny brain dribble out and soak the pavement. But the worst was for last. James had regained the ability to move and think, and he had spotted me trapped under the truck. He started to crawl towards me, crying out for help, his eyes desperate and pleading. He made it about a foot from the vehicle before the last Hunter got him. I could only watch as my beloved, favorite son who had kept me going was torn to pieces. I regained my ability to scream only after the gory bits and pieces started to fly in my direction, splattering my face. The other soldiers had fled, leaving me to my fate. I later learned that they were killed, which was cold comfort. I was discovered hours later by another patrol, which I alerted with my screams. I was taken to the evacuation center, and then transported here." I finished, my face showing the pain I felt from reminiscing with all those painful memories. The Lieutenant was ashen, and he opened his mouth to speak. I cut him off before he could start.

"My story is not done, Lieutenant. When 'Alex' arrived in my lab, sporting a Hunter bite, I felt pity for him. He was the spitting image of my dead son, James. They could be twins, and no one would be able to tell. And now I see him, twisted and broken in a Hunter's form. I don't care if he is self-aware, 'Alex' is gone, and he's just another monster that needs to be put down. 'Alex' is gone. James is gone. I'll make sure of that. I don't need to feel guilty any longer. And soon, you'll be gone too." I said, and with one motion pulled out the silver gun. The Lieutenant's jaw dropped, and for a second he gaped at me like a fish deprived of oxygen.

"You're insane! Killing an officer means death!" he spluttered, backing up. I let my face settle into a cold, clear smile.

"Oh, I don't intend to stop here. You see, I've acquired a large amount of explosives by chance, and I intend to have some fun with them. I already know my fate; it won't be long before I'm found out. I am going to where James, Rick, and Eliza are, but on my own terms. " I said with an insane laugh, and leveled my pistol, aiming at the Lieutenant's brain.

"You're insane!" he said again, and I smiled.

"Of course I'm insane. How else would humans survive in this world?"

I pulled the trigger.


	9. Someone Unexpected

**Author's Note: Yeah, I took a little longer writing this. The horrible curse of writer's block haunts me. But if you review, you can lift the curse! :D **

**No, seriously though. Reviews inspire me to write better and upload faster. Please take the time to review this, as I would LOVE your feedback.**

**A Note: This ENTIRE chapter is from the Scientist's point of view. But don't worry, Alex will be back next chapter.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 8- Someone Unexpected**

I skirted the puddle of blood, being careful not to get any bloodstains on my clothing. The Lieutenant was most definitely dead, with a bullet hole in his forehead and his brains leaking out onto the floor. No one could survive that. I smiled to myself as I pulled out a cloth covered in antiseptic and carefully cleaned the gun, which had received a few bloodstains from the killing. I then folded the cloth and tucked it away along with the gun. There was one problem taken care of. Oh yes, the Lieutenant had definitely been a thorn in my backside with his convictions of the Hunter, and his stubborn persistence. _The man didn't deserve this, though._ The nagging little thought persisted in the back of my head, chipping away at my confidence. Irritated, I pushed the thought away, tensing up as I did so. Still, the thought returned. _You murdered him. You're no better than the monsters that murdered Rick and Eliza-_ But before the thought was finished my surge of emotions blocked it out, and my whole body trembled as I tried to restrain my persisting anger. I could NEVER be as evil as those **things. **NEVER. It took a few more moments to regain my composure, and then it was if the incident had never happened. Allowing myself another cold smile, I patted the place where the gun was concealed. As long as I had this gun, nobody would stand in the way of my revenge. Oh yes, nobody… that reminded me. _I have to ensure Dr. Kyle's silence as well. Of course, killing him would be easier, but TWO killings in one week would be too much. _Rations, of course, would tide him over_. Poor man, he's thin enough. _Rations it is then. I tucked the thought into the back of my mind, reminding myself to make a few days worth of rations disappear. But first I had to check up on the Hunter's progress.

Of course, I hadn't been willing to give up such a wonderful specimen to the other scientists, but even I couldn't say no to a direct order from headquarters, who were in charge of everything around here. If my activities were discovered I would be kicked back out into the infected world and left to die without any CEDA assistance to help me. I opened the door leading into the hallway, casting one last glance at the limp corpse on the floor. Under all the blood and gore I could make out the Lieutenant's last expression, one of surprise and shock. "Didn't see that one coming, did you, Lieutenant Mitchell?" I whispered, giving the corpse a slight wave before shutting the door with a grin and locking it behind me. I felt as though an invisible weight had been lifted off my chest as I strode down the hallway towards Room 313, where the other scientists were running some tests with the Hunter before they started to inject prototypes that could possibly be the cure. _Those fools!_ It would be easier, far easier to wipe out the infected with bombs and fire and bullets. Didn't the U.S. pride itself on how large the military was? But of course, the infection had practically spread across the East Coast in a week or two…

I shook my head, clearing my mind of such thoughts. I entered Room 313, and instead of taking the direct route to the double doors to where the other scientists were, I opened a smaller, less noticeable door on the left. It led me to a small room with a few chairs and a table, all facing a one-way mirror that looked on Room 313. The Hunter was strapped to the table, wearing an oxygen mask attached to a large canister. _So, they managed to sedate the Hunter. Interesting._ The Hunter appeared to be unconscious, probably from the combination of the gas and the effects of malnourishment. Indeed, the Hunter hadn't been fed for over a week, and I could clearly see the effects. Every last rib was visible against the skin, and there was not one inch of fat visible. The Hunter was barely muscles and bones. The face was gaunt and hollow, with shadows under the eyes. Once the Hunter had appeared threatening and strong. Now it only appeared frail and weak, unable to fight back. I smiled to myself at this thought. It would be merciful to simply let the Hunter die of malnutrition, but that was out of the picture for now. The other scientists had been working long and hard on possible cures, and this Hunter was the only special infected in the base at the moment. There were plenty of common infected, of course, but that was irrelevant. I watched for a few minutes as the scientists prepped the 'cure', and then inserted the syringe into the Hunter's arm. The effects would draw out over the next 24 hours, if there were any effects at all. Most of the 'cures' tended to be failures, but there was always hope. I turned as the door behind me opened, and a scientist entered. He was middle aged and balding, with an over large nose and watery brown eyes. He had large; bottle-cap glasses perched on the rim of his nose, heavily wound in scotch tape. His name was Dr. Moore, according to the ID pinned to his lab coat. I vaguely remembered him as the person in charge of tending to the infected test subjects.

"Ah, Dr. Moore. You are in charge of this Hunter's feeding, correct?" I asked, my voice cool and even. The man nearly jumped as I addressed him; clearly, he had not noticed my presence when entering the room. "Ah, yes, yes indeed I am in charge of this Hunter's feeding. As per your orders, I haven't fed him anything. He has been given a bowl of water every two days, as usual." He said, his voice shaking a little. I smiled at him, delighted to see that the man was almost quivering in fear.

"I want you to make sure he gets meat every day, with vitamins placed inside, Dr. Moore. Am I clear?" I growled, watching as his expression became confused. "But, but ma'am! If I do that, then the Hunter will regain strength quickly! Isn't the point of the current diet to ensure it remains weak?" He said, shaking visibly as I glared at him. Why was he questioning my orders? "The last time I checked Dr. Moore, _I _am in charge of this operation. If I say the Hunter is to be fed, I expect you to carry out my orders without questioning my authority! Also, put some sleeping pills in the Hunter's meals. That should solve the little problem of strength, doctor. Now, will you kindly remove yourself from my sight!" I spat at him, my face a cold mask of fury. Not waiting for an answer, I swiftly walked past him and through the door, nearly slamming it shut in my rage. _Fools!_ They would all pay, oh yes. They would pay dearly, and soon. With that thought in mind, I strode towards the exit. Once I cleared the double doors, I headed for the exit to the laboratories. I needed a breath of fresh air before diving back into my work.

From what I'd heard, there would be a new group of survivors arriving, who had contacted this base via radio. And, of course that meant I would have to give a tour of the whole CEDA encampment, being the head scientist here. It was a duty that had sprung up when I had arrived at this based as the head scientist because the soldiers were supposedly too busy to give tours. I sighed; massaging my eyes as the sun temporarily blinded me. I had been inside for far too long. Who knew that tormenting the Hunter was so time-consuming? I blinked a couple of times, my eyes adjusting to the bright, sunny day. As my vision finally cleared, I took in my surroundings. I was standing near one of the staircases that lead up to the wall, in the far corner of the base. There was a path that wound around the entire perimeter, allowing the guards to patrol the inside the base and allowed me easy access to the survivor's camp. As I started down the path, a soldier approached me, saluting as he did so. When he was within arms reach, I nodded, and he ended the salute. "Report," I said, and the soldier nodded. "The survivors have already arrived, ma'am, and they are waiting for you. There are only two of them." He said, and I nodded slowly. The last part surprised me; there had been four survivors when they had radioed in about a day or two ago.

"What happened to the other two survivors?" I asked, fixating the soldier with a curious look. "Ambushed by a Smoker and a Tank, ma'am. The two remaining managed to kill the infected, but by then the other two had died of injuries." He said, his voice trembling a little. The soldier was barely older than 18, and from his voice he too had probably experience something similar. "Very well then, I shall meet with the remaining survivors and give them the tour. Return to your duties, soldier." I said, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. The boy soldier saluted me once again, and then headed off towards the stairs, probably intending to take up a post on the wall. I started to walk down the path at a brisk pace, quickly arriving at the sea of white tents that marked the area where the survivors lived. I skirted that too, nodding at any greetings called to me by the various survivors, and headed towards the entrance to the base. There were two huge double doors, large enough for a military vehicle to pass through, and thick enough to withstand an assault by infected. As I approached the doors I spotted two blood-soaked, mud-stained figures, both of whom had multiple weapons strapped to their backs and where holding guns at their sides, clearly not at ease. This was how every survivor came in, on edge because of the terrors they had faced outside the high walls of the CEDA base. Most of the survivors living in the camp where the same as the two survivors and I couldn't blame them for being uneasy. CEDA had pulled out of the evacuation centers too quickly, leaving many stranded with a false hope. I pushed those irrelevant thoughts out as I approached the two survivors, plastering a smile onto my face. They were both women; one was around thirty years, and the other was fourteen by my guess. The younger one drew my attention; she had long, black hair braided tightly back and piercing blue eyes. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it… As I drew closer, the two finally took notice of me.

"Welcome to CEDA base #666, ladies. My name is Dr. Artemis, and I am the head scientist of this base. Before I give you the tour, I would like to know yours names. Also, are there any questions you would like to ask?" I said, my voice cool, calm, and collected. It was a habit I had picked up from my first time performing this duty. Survivors tended to remain calm when their guide wasn't stuttering nervously. The younger girl stepped forward, wiping dirt off of her face as she did so. _Wait… no… she can't be… _The girl cleared her throat, and then reached into her pocket to pull out a grubby, crinkled photograph. "My name is Lily. Lily Roberts." She said, and then it clicked. _The girl in the photograph!_ Lily held up her own photograph, which detailed a boy with blue eyes, black hair, and a most familiar face. "I'm looking for my brother. His name is Alex. Alex Roberts. Have you seen him?"


	10. Escape

**Author's Note: Hey there. It seems this update took longer than expected. So I wrote out this chapter, read it, and then deleted it and started from scratch because I thought it was horrible. Feel free to send a review my way if you see anything weird with the chapter. Reviews would be wonderful, because then everyone gets to read more wonderful fanfiction, and I feel like staying up all night writing for the reviewers. Spread some love.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 9- Escape**

It was always easy to fall asleep. Almost too easy, as it meant that my starved body was trying to conserve energy after being starved for a long period of time. I awoke to my stomach grumbling loudly, protesting the lack of food. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to quiet the noises, trying to push aside the fact that I was as weak as a newborn lamb. What was the scientist playing at? What did she hope to accomplish with this new kind of torture? I lifted my head blearily as a door was opened somewhere nearby. My prison had changed again while I was unconscious, and now I was in something that resembled a giant fish tank; a giant glass box, with a sort of metal lid. It wasn't very large, around ten feet by ten feet, and there was a ladder on one side, leading up to a latch in the metal roof. As I watched, a man in a white lab coat whom I had never seen before came close to the glass, and I _drooled_ when I saw what was in his arms. In one hand he had a dish of water, clean, cool water, and the other was a bowl full of meat. _Food._

-**FOODFoodyesyes!Hungryhungrytoothintooweak, eatpreykillprey!-**

My stomach gave a loud gurgle as my inner Hunter intruded on my conscious, and the scientist man froze. I crawled towards the glass wall, saliva dripping from my mouth, desperate. I could see my reflection in the glass. I looked too thin, too pale, and my eyes were wide and desperate, like a cornered animal. I tapped on the glass with my claws, watching as the man drew closer with the meal. The scent wafted in, and I started to scrabble against the glass, a hungry whine echoing around the glass cage. As much as I tried, my weakened claws did not even made a scratch on the smooth surface. As the man went to the side with the ladder, I followed, keening softly as my body screamed for the sustenance. My yellow eyes glowed in the half-light, and I ran my tongue over my parched lips. As the hatch above me opened, I looked above me to see the scientist holding some kind of long metal stick, and at the end the cattle prod had been attached using duct tape. He lowered it down, jabbing it at me until I backed up. I growled at the sight of the electrical rod. I _hated_ that thing. But nevertheless, I obeyed, backing into the farthest corner as the scientist slowly lowered the bowl of food and the bowl of water using a device that had been mounted to the lid of the cage.

Once they were on the floor the man retracted the cattle prod spear, and then slammed the lid shut. I heard footsteps as the man left, but I didn't care. I scuttled over to the food as fast as possible and started to eat ravenously. It was unidentifiable, raw, and probably dirty but I didn't care. I hadn't eaten in about a week. Once the meat was gone I licked the inside of the bowl, whining. It had only been enough to quiet my stomach's grumbling, and I was hungry for more. Then I turned my attention on the water, and I lapped it up eagerly.

Once the meal was over I stumbled away from the bowls, and for the first time examined my image closely using the glass. I had a pinched, starved look, and without my hoodie I could easily count all of my ribs. My black hair had grown a bit longer, all ruffled and matted and tangled. I had dark shadows under my sickly yellow eyes, and my face was covered with the remains of my meal. I tried to be as realistic as possible, taking in my torso and my arms. The sickly gray skin hadn't changed, but the strange bulges and bumps in my skin, the hideous appearance, I looked at it. _This is me. This is who I am now._ My reflection stared back at me, proof of my gruesome reality. I crawled closer to the glass, and with one hand tried to touch the reflection. My reflection did the same, and for a minute our hands touched, separated by a curtain of glass. And then I drew back, ashamed. How I wished this had never happened, that I should've just accepted a bullet in head. How I wished that I had succumbed to my human cowardice and had embraced death instead. But no, it was too late to try and turn back. I crawled into the back corner of the glass cage, the farthest away from the door. Once there I put my face in my hands and wept.

I don't know how much time had passed, but soon the sobs turned to whimpers, and the tears eventually stopped. I sniffed loudly and wiped my face, clearing away the snot and tears. I cleaned my hand on my pants, which already looked worse for wear from accumulated filth. _Now what?_ I was unsure of what to do. I did not want to brood on the dark thoughts in the back of my mind, lurking on the edges, nor of the inner Hunter, who provided a steady stream of barely coherent thoughts and garbled instincts. No, I needed something to _do_, something to keep my mind occupied. _Or else I'm going to go insane. Of course, that's assuming I already haven't gone insane._ No, no, I couldn't think like that. Everything would be alright if I just kept my sanity. I knew that I sounded desperate in my head, but there was no other choice.

I started to pace back and forth on the floor, anxious, unable to do anything. It felt like I was in a giant fish tank, unable to do anything but watch and pace. _Is this how fish feel?_ I kept up the pace, crawling around the cage. It was seven paces to cross the length of the cage, and seven paces to cross the width. For diagonal, eleven paces. I felt cooped up, trapped, and I turned my eyes to the room outside of the cage, desperate for a distraction. The room was dark, but my eyes were suited to such lighting. I could see piles of cardboard boxes, haphazardly stacked up. It looked like a storage room. I turned my eyes to the lid of the glass cage, and something caught my eye. The place where the scientist had opened to deliver food was ajar, if only slightly. _It's open!_ My eyes widened with this piece of information. What would I do? I had never thought about escape, to be honest. The scientist had always made sure I would never escape, and I was always convinced that she had made everything escape-proof. Now I crouched underneath the loose panel, torn between freedom and fear of what would happen. Would it be worth it to escape? _Could_ I escape? The bright lights of the hallway would defeat me, even before the problem of making out of wherever I was! No, no, thinking like this was not the right way. Before my mind was made, I sprang up, easily popping open the lid of the cage and landing on top. For a minute I froze, waiting for the punishment that was sure to occur. When there was none, I easily dropped down from the cage with the lithe and grace of a cat. It no longer surprised me to land so easily from a ten feet drop. The infection had built this body to last. I gave a light, rasping whine at the last thought, my version of a laugh. I padded over to the boxes, curious to see what was inside all of them. After tearing open two of them with my claws, I found articles of clothing, neatly stacked inside, along with things such as toys or photographs. For every new box, there was a new set of clothing. There were shirts, pants, and socks, but no hooded jackets to be seen. I would need one to shield my eyes if I tried to escape. Finally, I pulled out a dark blue one that was my size. The thing was a zip-up hoodie, with pull-strings and a strange design on the back, which I did not recognize. It resembled a circuit board, and there was black duct tape placed on the sleeves, near the wrists and elbows. The duct tape was strange, but I didn't care and gratefully wriggled into the hoodie, since my clawed hands were too awkward to use a zipper. The hoodie fit perfectly, like it was made for me. I drew up the hood and approached the door, unsure if it was locked. The handle was round and smooth; it would be impossible to open it up with my claws. Grimacing, I bit down on the handle, gently clenching it in my teeth as I slowly rotated it. It tasted disgusting, and I felt like puking as I slowly turned the handle. Finally, the door opened, and I collapsed into the brightly lit hallway.

Adrenaline rushing, I sprang to my feet casting about for any sign that there was anyone nearby. Nothing. The entire hallway was silent, and the doors on either end were unguarded. The only noise was from a ventilation shaft overhead, the cold air being blasted out through the grate. _Wait… a grate?_ Perhaps it was because of all the spy movies that I had watched when I was little that I got the idea. I tilted my head up towards the grate, studying it as best I could. It looked loose. Maybe I could knock it off and use the ventilation to get out! It would be easier than wandering around getting lost, that was for certain. I crouched down for a moment, and then leapt into the air, sinking my claws into the grate. For a moment, I held on firmly, suspended about a foot and a half in the air, and then with a crash the grate came loose and I fell to the floor with a tremendous crash. For a moment I froze, and then readied myself to jump as one of the doors opened at the end of the hallway. It was the scientist, and there was someone behind her, half-hidden by shadows. We stared at each other for a moment, and then the figure behind the scientist started forward with a strangled cry containing something like fear, or sorrow. I reacted, unsure of what to do, and so I leapt up into the vent and scrabbled inside. For a second I caught my breath as the cold air slammed into me, glad I had thought to wear the hoodie. And then I started to crawl forward, desperate for freedom.


	11. Lily

**Author's Note: I really, really hate writer's block. I really do. Well, at least I got this done. Hope you enjoy. Maybe next chapter won't be so bad. Special thanks to Lanny-Sama and TVirusRose. ;A;**_  
_

**~x~**

**Chapter 10- Lily**_  
_

_Shit. These vents are freezing. _I shivered heavily as I kept crawling through the vents, glad of the mild protection of the hoodie. There were a lot of the fans inside the vents, pumping frigid air to all parts of the building. Quickly I felt my hands and legs numb up from the persistent cold air, followed by my face. I started to shiver violently, resisting the urge to curl up into a ball to preserve body heat. _I've gotta get out of here, and fast._ But where was I supposed to go? The vents were a labyrinth of connecting tunnels. _This place is like a maze._

I crawled through tunnel after tunnel, vaguely hoping I could find the exit. _Damn it, it was such a bad idea in the first place. Great, Alex, just great. You've managed to pick the worst idea ever._ Shivering, I felt my eyes droop as I paused, my whole body numb for the cold. For a moment, I went limp, slouching down in the vent. It would nice, to simple lay down and rest… _No! I have not endured this hell and __**escaped**_ _this prison to just die of cold in the vents! _ But still, the constant cold air was sapping my strength, turning my limbs to ice… or so it felt. Shivering harder, my teeth chattered, and I tried to stay as warm as possible.

And then… heaven. It was a gust of warm air from the vent, and turning the corner I could feel warmth streaming from the grilled vent just 20 feet away. I could see between the cracks… sunlight. Wincing, I pulled my hood down, shielding my sensitive eyes. _And just when I wanted to see the sun again…_ A few swipes of my claws, and the vent was about to fall off of its hinges. I grasped the vent and slowly eased it down, poking my head out of the side of the building, uneasy. I hadn't been outside since I… turned. But now, as I crawled out of the vent and onto the worn path around the building, the outdoors felt wonderful. There were no enclosing bars here, no artificially cold air, no scientist. It was almost mind-blowing. I was **free.**

Voices startled me back to reality. There were guards, rounding the corner of the building! Instinct took over, telling me to _flee._ Tensing my muscles, my body carried me up the height of the wall, minus the traditional Hunter scream that usually accompanied such a feat. For a minute I perched on the brink of the wall, staring at the expanse of the camp. There were the white tents, laid out in neat rows. I could see what had been my tent, the last one at the last row. Then there were the 'fields', and then the main lab compound and the guard barracks. Everything was laid out before me. The guards passed underneath me, thankfully blissfully unaware of my presence. Thanks to my new hearing, I could even hear their conversation going on below.

"So I heard there's two new members today. Some old crone and a young girl."

I felt my heartbeat rise rapidly, my breathing speeding up as I listened.

_A young girl… it could be Lily!_

"Well, it's a damn shame, cuz one of the girls is related to that boy. You know, the one that got pounced by one of them Leaper wusses? Yeah, she claimed his tent and demanded that she see him in the labs."

The man shuddered at the thought, but I couldn't care less. Right now, my heart was soaring above the clouds on wings of joy, and at the same time sinking beneath a quagmire of despair. Lily was alive. She was alright, and she knew.

_That means… the other person with the scientist I saw before I escaped… was Lily. Oh shit._

The guards below passed out of earshot, but another problem was presented. There were guards up here on the wall too, and if I didn't find somewhere to go soon, I would be found out, and the escape attempt would fail or end in my death. I quickly launched myself off of the wall, trying to keep as much as a low profile as possible, under the circumstances. I landed on the roof of the lab building, which, as it turned out, was a bad idea.

I could see traps everywhere, from spiked wire to some strange devices hanging everywhere. The whole place was rigged for Hunters incase any got over the walls. And, unfortunately, that included me. I slunk at the edge of the minefield, trying to avoid any traps as I slowly inched closer to the survivor's tents. I had to see if Lily was truly living in my old tent. As I recalled, all of my possessions had been left in there when I was escorted to the lab.

Had the CEDA personnel cleared them out, or had they let Lily keep them? I had to know. I wanted to see my little sister so badly, wanted to embrace her, and tell her everything was going to be alright. The sad truth felt like a noose, slowly constricting my heart.

_Like hell. Nothing is alright. _I was a damned monster who couldn't even go in the sunlight without going blind, with claws, fangs, and a cursed instinct screaming in the back of my mind, telling me to pounce, to kill, to sink my claws and fangs into some hapless victim and tear their guts out of their stomach. The voice screamed at me to **enjoy **it, as well.

I pounced off of the roof, my strong legs carrying me to the grass outside the sea of white tents. I had noticed the people were gathered around a few of guards, who were apparently making some announcements. The fields were likewise empty, and I offered up a prayer to anyone in the heavens for the deserted tents. Sneaking with so many people would be impossible. I inched forward, my eyes on the last tent.

My tent. Lily's tent. Our tent.

"HUNTER!"

The scream was accompanied by the firing of a gun, and the bullet landed merely inches away from me. Startled, I leapt forward, panic driving my actions. I had to get out of their sight, out of their range! I heard the shouts of the survivors as they were alerted, and the scramble to grab their weapons.

As they did so, the dry dust, which had been collecting on the ground, was kicked up. It provided a small amount of cover, but it was perfect I darted between the tents, trying to avoid the survivors as much as possible. I feared them more than the guards. A month of surviving and your instincts would be finely tuned to seek out and shoot any moving threat, whether it be a Hunter or a Tank.

I fell to the ground with a snarl as a panicked pair of legs tripped over my back, sending the person flying. I lifted my face from the hard packed dirt to see a survivor staring straight at me from a few feet away.

"Oh god… Alex?" he said, his voice high-pitched from fear. It was the man who had been in the tent next to mine; I remember his name to be Antonio. I stared at him for a moment, and then the Hunter screamed louder than ever.

**-HUNTHUNTHUNT! HELPLESSPREYHUNT! EATEATFEASTHUNT! -**

It was so hard… to resist… I flexed my claws; inching towards the man, drool dripping from the corners of my mouth… My stomach growled loudly, reminding me of my hunger. I snarled loudly, and advanced slowly, ready for a meal…

"A-Alex, I don't know if you're in there anymore, but Lily-"

I could no longer hear the rest of his words. The mention of Lily had been enough. With a mental push, the Hunter was thrown to the back of my mind once again, but it was fighting. It wanted out, to pounce and kill and murder all of the people I had known as a human, including **me.** I was simply in the way.

Clutching my head, I stumbled backwards from the man, tears leaking from my eyes. I had been close, so very, **very** close to attacking the man. And the worst part was, I wouldn't have been able to stop him after my claws tore into his flesh. I felt more despicable than ever. Was I slowly losing to the inner Hunter, succumbing to the animalistic instincts that slowly overrode my body?

Panicking again, I leapt away from Antonio's figure, driven by my own urge, no, my desperate need to get to the tent Lily was now occupying. There it was! A mere few feet away! I could hear voices, faintly echoing nearby, but my mind was focused on the white tent. The noises faded away after I crawled inside, and the constant brightness of the sun's harsh rays faded away into comfortable semi-darkness.

There was the sleeping pallet, the table, the chairs, the washbasin; everything was there, just like it had been. But there was a new addition to the furniture. A sort of small table, the kind used as a bedside table, and there was a framed picture on it, surrounded by a circle of candles that had been snuffed out recently. As I approached the table, I recognized the person in the picture frame.

I awkwardly rose to a half-crouched, half-standing position, my back protesting at such a posture. The person inside the photo frame was me, my blue eyes sparkling at some inner joke, my black hair tousled and wild, my skin a blissful shade of white, tanned from exposure to the sun's rays. It was me; before the infection hit, before the current monster was created. It hurt to simply look at the photo.

So engrossed in the photo, I barely heard the footsteps coming up behind me. I stretched out one clawed hand and stroked the picture frame, hesitant. And then something large, heavy, and painful made contact with my skull, and I fell to the floor, the world going black as I disappeared into unconsciousness…


	12. Not A Dream

**Author's Note: So, unfortunately, my right arm is fractured, delaying the fanfiction writing process.**

**R&R, please!**

**~X~**

**Chapter 11- Not a Dream**

I felt the comfort of a mattress beneath me, the soft, warm covers over me, and a pillow under my head. _This is a dream, it has to be._ But if it really was a dream, I didn't want to open my eyes. I could feel the warm rays of the sun on my back, probably from some window. It felt like I was home again, if only I opened my eyes… but then the dream would end, and I didn't want to go back to the cruel reality. I heard someone singing quietly in the background now, and it took me a few seconds to realize who it was: _Lily._ No one else could have that sweet, lilting soprano voice with the faint Southern accent. I had known her too long not to recognize it. And the song she was singing…

… _Fare thee well my dear, I must be gone and leave you for a while… If I roam away I'll come back again, though I roam ten thousands my dear, though I roam ten thousand miles…_

It was the first solo she had ever done in a choir, with a song I had helped her learn. It was so nostalgic; it brought tears to my eyes. Shuddering, I curled up tighter, raising one hand to wipe away the tears…. And nearly poked myself in the eye with one of the claws on my hand. Opening my eyes, I frowned at the hand, frustrated. I couldn't even have a moment of peace in my dream? But the soft singing didn't stop, nor did the bed and blankets vanish.

_It's not a dream…_ To make sure, I pinched my cheek, hard, almost enough to draw blood. Still, nothing changed. I was still lying in the bed, the sunlight was still warming my back, and Lily was still singing. _But if this isn't a dream… _ I groaned, shifting in the bed. I had to know why Lily was here, why I was in a bed instead of a cold prison. But as soon as I started to move there was a dull, throbbing pain in the back of my head. I sat up, rubbing at the sizable bump in confusion. However, at my movement, the singing halted unexpectedly. I looked up to see the confines of my old tent, the door hangings drawn shut so only a sliver of sunlight poured through.

An older woman was sitting on one of the chairs, her gun on her lap. She resembled a raven, with a hooked nose, pursed mouth and beady, gray eyes. Her hair was a dark silver, neatly tied back in a loose braid. Her body was relaxed, but I could tell she was more than capable of springing into action at a moment's notice. I could also see how muscular she was, even though she was dressed in a plain gray t-shirt and loose khakis. She was staring straight at me, her gray eyes boring into my yellow ones, but she remained silent. I grimaced at her, and then eagerly searched for the person I was looking for. There she was, her black hair neatly tied up in a ponytail, her solemn eyes focused on me. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her. She hadn't changed since the last time I saw her, for the most part. There were some bruises and scratches on her face, and her clothes were a little ratty, but that was a minor detail.

She was here; she was staring straight at me. And she wasn't running, nor pointing a gun in my direction. In fact, the only gun in the room was lying in the lap of the older woman. Lily's mouth was parted in an 'O' of surprise. I continued to stare at her, unsure of what to do now that I finally confirmed she was alive and well. What _could _I do? I realized my own jaw was hanging open and I snapped it shut, averting my gaze back down to my hands. It was then I realized that my hooded jacket, shirt, and pants had been removed, and I was lying in bed in only my boxers. I squirmed, uncomfortable, and drew my knees up, trying to conceal myself.

I didn't want Lily to see me, deranged into something out of a horror movie. But it was too late, she had already seen, probably when I had been placed into the bed. But what did she think? I hadn't attacked her, nor shown any signs of aggression. The entire tent was silent as I kept my focus on my hands, mutated nails forming sharp claws, and the random pustule-like bumps that appeared at random on my skin. The bright sun accentuated the already-sickly hue of my skin; I looked even more diseased than before. I had no doubt my hair was a snarled mess of tangles and knots, and my eyes were a lost cause. My chest was free of the bumps, but the skin on my back felt twisted, hobbling up into ridges due to the change of my skeleton in such short time.

The skin was likewise twisted around my legs, to accommodate the large, powerful muscles that had developed. No matter how I looked at myself, I saw nothing but a horrible monster. I buried my face into my hands, hoping that Lily would see past the appearance, the lack of speech, everything about me, and see that I was _Alex_ underneath it all, not the Hunter, not an infected. I wanted her to know that no matter what the infection did to my body, that I was her big brother who still loved her and cared for her. I hoped for this, or else I would be heartbroken.

"A-Alex?" Lily said, her hesitant voice breaking through the thick silence. I looked up at her in a flash, my hands flying away from my face. She flinched at the sudden movement, my yellow eyes locking onto hers. We stared at each other for a few moments, and then…

"Alex, if that's you, and not… something… else in there, you'll… know me, right? It's… me, Lily… you know… your sister…" she said, more slowly, each syllable clearly painful for her. I paused, hesitant, unsure of what to do.

"Just… give me a… sign or something that you're… in there, Alex…." Lily said, and my hesitancy broke. I nodded at her slowly, drawing a gasp from my younger sister. She stared at me, unsure whether or not I was lying, and her wide eyes full of something like disbelief.

"A-Alex? You in there? Please… please tell me you're okay. I've been… searching for you all this time…and when I heard…you…" She stuttered off, her voice choked with broken sobs. She had been desperate, I could tell, desperate to find me, and then she had met the Scientist, who had told her that I had turned, that I had become a monster.

She had probably steeled herself for the worst, expecting me to fling myself at her like the Hunter who had bitten me. And now she saw me in her bed, perfectly calm, giving her every sign that I was still the older brother she knew and loved. I nodded at her again, and then slowly, carefully, I peeled back the covers and swung my legs off the bed, ready to stand up. The older raven woman in the back shifted at my movement, and her hand lazily curled around the trigger of the gun, preparing herself for the worst case scenario: that I would attack either of the two inside the tent, or try to escape.

I hunched over as I stood up, my bone structure and muscle mass forcing me into an awkward hunchback pose. I shuffled towards Lily with hesitant, half-motivated steps, both desperate to get closer to her and worried that she would reject me. Lily was quietly crying now, her tears slowly sliding down her sunburnt cheeks and onto her black tank top. And now I was in an arms reach from her, unsure of what to do, how to act, desperate to stop the tears. I was here now, and I would never let her go again. She was my sister, someone I had known for most of my life and all of hers, and now I wanted to re-forge the bond after the start of the infection.

Lily looked up at me, just a foot away, and she hiccupped, halting her sobs.

"A-Alex?" she stammered, her eyes full of tears. I awkwardly shifted my face into a smile, something I hadn't done for a long, long time. My face felt stiff as I did so, and I only pulled my lips back enough to reveal half my teeth, hiding the sharp tips of the fangs for her sake. I looked down then, and my hands formed a heart, each hand making up one half of the heart.

Lily gasped at that, and her hands shook as she started to cry in earnest this time. I then tapped my chest with one clawed finger, right where my heart would be, and then reached out and carefully tapped Lily's chest where her heart would be. I might've not been able to speak words, but I was sure my actions had got the point across.

"ALEX!" Lily cried, and she flung her arms around my waist, burying her face in my shoulder as she sobbed into it, crying with relief or joy, I couldn't tell. I was surprised by the hug, but I returned the gesture, awkwardly stroking her hair and her back while she cried it out, feeling tears flow from my own eyes. I didn't care that the Scientist might be right outside the tent with a thousand soldiers or that the inner Hunter was screaming inside my subconscious. Lily was here, and she believed that I was still myself inside, even after the drastic change of appearance. And to me, nothing else mattered but that period of time where we hugged, and everything was alright.


	13. The Duchess and The Road Ahead

**Author's Note: Ugh. This took way, way too long for me to finish. I need a nap and some cookies. *collapses***

**~x~**

**Chapter 12- The Duchess and The Road Ahead**

It was at least ten minutes before anything else happened in that tent. Lily was clutching me as a drowning man would clutch a lifeline, sobbing all the while. I waited for her, gently stroking her soft black hair as the sobs slowly turned to sniffles, and then faded to silence. Still, she didn't let go of my waist, and I didn't pull away. It was peaceful, embracing like this. Every minute Lily was in my sight it felt like the days of constant anxiety and panic were being erased.

However, all good things had to end; Lily was the first to break the contact, letting go of me and stepping back. I let her go, though I was loath to break out of the embrace. I hadn't seen her looking this miserable and depressed since my days of middle school. For another minute, we stared at one another, unsure of what to do. Lily had grown an inch or two since I'd seen her last, and her hair had grown a tad longer and wilder. There were dark circles under those blue eyes, and there were faint scars on her arms and neck, as well as half-healed cuts. There were also many fading bruises everywhere, a testament to her struggle to survive. I wondered what she had gone through, surviving out there without the safety of the CEDA base's walls and guards and weapons.

I had been terrified, unsure of what to do, hyperventilating nearly every night in the saferooms I came across, praying that I would live for just another hour, another day, and that my sister, my family, was still alive. Had Lily done the same for me? How did she know the other older woman sitting with us in the tent? How had she survived? Where was our father?

The sound of booted feet moving outside the tent jolted me out of my daze. The noise was horrifyingly familiar, identical to the sound of the guards approaching my cell when the scientist decided to torture me again. Instinct took hold, and I edged towards the bed, a growl rumbling through my throat and chest. My claws flexed automatically, curling, readying themselves for a fight. I bared my teeth, keeping one eye on the tent flap as I gauged the height between the bottom of the bed and the floor. It would be small, but I could squeeze under there, if I flattened myself against the floor…

The cocking of a gun stopped everything. I froze at the sound, transfixed, as the older woman calmly aimed the gun she had cradled in her lap. The woman stared down the barrel of the gun, unflinching, calm. I knew at that moment that the older woman would shoot me if I moved again, even if Lily was there.

"Let's calm down now, boy. No need to get jumpy, or we're going to have problems," the woman said, marginally lowering the barrel of the gun. I stared at her, hesitant to do anything but remain stock-still and hope that she wouldn't shoot me.

"Now, let's get a few things sorted out here before anything else happens, boy. This gun right here-" she tapped the barrel of her gun, her gray eyes fixed on me all the while, "-is a Mossberg 590 combat shotgun. I don't care what you are; I WILL shoot you if you try anything funny. One wrong move and you will be full of buckshot, and from my experiences even a Hunter will go down with a shot from this baby. Are we understood?" The woman's eyes were cold as iron as she locked gazes with me. Her voice had steel in it, brooking no argument. I nodded quickly, my eyes darting down to the shotgun nestled in her lap. I had watched the movies, and I knew what shotguns could do. Just one shot would blast a hole in me. I shivered at the thought, casting my eyes down so I was looking at the ground instead of the gun barrel. _How does Lily know this woman anyway?_

But the woman wasn't done with her talk. Jabbing one finger towards herself, she continued, "My name's Delilah Sanders, but everyone calls me Duchess. I was a former military drill instructor, hired by CEDA just before the start of the outbreak to train their segment of the military. The boys I trained saddled me with the nickname, and I guess it just stuck, " she said, and then paused for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"I trained all of the guards here as well. The look on their faces when the Duchess just walks right in after the outbreak, right as rain-" she chuckled, breaking out into a tiny smile that revealed small dimples. I could see the laugh lines appear, and drill instructor or no, it seems that the Duchess was a friendlier person than she let on.

"Anyway, I was down here in this neck of the woods when my military squad was taken out by a bunch of special infected- _Hunters_ included, of course." She said, and I slowly swallowed, nervous. No doubt this woman had seen –and killed- her fair share of the infected. "But I got away with nary a scratch. I had a vehicle and tons of gas, as well as supplies. I had a map, and this place was the closest CEDA base that hadn't been overrun. I stopped in a few towns along with way, and that's how I met your sister here. She was alone, but I'll be damned if she wasn't the bravest person I've met in this disaster. So we traveled together to here, and as for the rest- " she waved a hand in my direction, indicating what had happened, "I believe you already have a clear idea. On the day you 'escaped', I was the one who smacked you in the back of the head. You've been out for about two days now-" THAT caught my attention. My head snapped out, gazing at her with a look of disbelief.

How could I have been unconscious for two whole DAYS? And more importantly, why hadn't the Scientist found me?

A hand descended upon my shoulder, and I flinched violently, twisting my head to see Lily standing behind me, her expression strained. "I can explain what happened," she offered quietly, gently tugging at my shoulder, motioning for me to follow her back to the bed. I sat down when she did, feeling slightly awkward at still being half-naked, dressed in nothing but boxers. Not to mention the fact that I wouldn't be able to win any beauty pageants any time soon, perhaps never. But Lily didn't seem to mind it, or if she did, she was doing an excellent job of hiding it. She seemed calmer and collected.

"After the Duchess knocked you out, she came to find me straight away. She brought me back here, and gave me two options. I could grant you a quick, merciful death while you were peacefully unconscious, or I could hide you away and wait until you woke up to see what happened. The scientist, Dr. Artemis or whatever her name is, she seemed crazy, too obsessed with your condition. Gave a small lecture on how monstrous you were, how you would attack anyone on sight-" Lily's voice broke there, and she gave a small sniff and a cough, a sign that she was fighting back tears. Hesitant, I patted her arm softly, trying to comfort her. She took my hand and squeezed it tightly, and then softly smiled at me. She continued.

"Of course, I was there when you escaped. I was frightened, and Dr. Artemis nearly had a seizure when she saw you. But you didn't attack. You looked frightened at the sight of us, like a cornered animal trying to run away. When you fled into the grate, Dr. Artemis fainted. We were escorted outside, just in time for the initial panic. After I chose the second option, the Duchess managed to hide you before the guards searched through the tents. They didn't inspect our tent very carefully, because they knew the Duchess could handle herself in a fight. That, and they didn't want to get yelled at by their previous drill sergeant. " Lily said, smiling, and I gave a wheezy sort of laugh at the last bit. I had never heard a drill sergeant yell before, nor did I want to now, what with my over-sensitive hearing.

"And then we waited. After the first day, we moved you into the bed and got you into some of your old boxers. The Duchess said you looked exhausted when she knocked you out, and that your body just desperately needed some rest, so we got you as comfortable as possible. And then you woke up, and you know the rest." Lily finished, gently squeezing my hand again. I mulled over this information, surprised at how close I came to being caught. If the Duchess hadn't been there… However, my thoughts were interrupted again by the older woman, who jerked a thumb towards the entrance of the tent, which was closed and secured with tape and strips of fabric.

"We have got more problems, boy, than the question about your humanity. I'm not questioning Lily's choice here, but the Scientist wants you pretty badly. I talked with her today, since she wanted me to help organize search parties for **you.** She's desperate to get you back. But something's wrong here. Dr. Artemis is insane- literally, something's wrong with her. I don't know what, boy, but things are going to get harder from here on out." The Duchess said her voice lowered so that no one outside the tent would have a chance of hearing it.

_The Scientist is insane._ I had known it all along, from the very moment I was aware of my transformation. Her actions, her words, **everything** indicated she was out of her mind. The tent seemed frailer just then, mere canvas walls separating me from the Scientist's wrath. As if she could sense my fear, Lily squeezed my hand again and leaned her head against my shoulder. "Don't worry, Alex. Everything will be fine." She said, snuggling closer. Even if I could've answered her, I wouldn't have at that moment. I was unsure.

_Would everything be all right? _I didn't know.


	14. Deus Ex Machina

**Author's Note:**

**HERE. HAVE A SECOND MIRACLE. AN UPDATE. NOW TO SLEEP. ENJOY THE CLIFFHANGER.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 13- Deus Ex Machina**

My breath was foul upon the air. I could smell the stench of raw meat and blood, and taste it on my tongue. I panted eagerly, every fiber of my body craving more, more, _MORE! _It had been several rises and falls of the sun since the hated prey-dwelling walls had crumbled to the ground, overrun by my kin-brethren: the Behemoths, the Long-tongues, the Small-One-that-rides, and even a Crying-one. The prey was killed in droves, especially the dreaded **Female. **The one who had caused so much pain, pain, suffering. But she had died in the end, and allowed me to drive the weak-one-who-dwells-in-head away, allowed me to take control. The **true** hunter was free, free, FREE!

Even now I was tracking prey; two females. One had the familiar kin-scent, one that the weak-one-who-dwells-in –head recognized. _NO! No, not Lily! I can't kill Lily! STOPSTOPSTOP- _I snarled loudly, and drove the weak-one back again, muffling the pitiful, incoherent cries. I was in charge now. No more weak-one making all the decisions.

The females were close; so close; one leap-jump away. So easy, so weak. Delicious to hunt.

_No, not Lily, don't kill her, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplea se…._

I growled again, angry, and mentally shoved the weak-one back again. The pleading, the whimpering, and the desires I didn't understand… _Too much._

I stifled my growl as I slowly crept closer, closer, closer towards the two females. They were standing near the edge of a large grass field, a clearing in the middle of the woods. They were both weak, weak from fighting the kin-brethren to escape the ruins of the prey-dwelling. They barely had any weapons… it was the perfect hunt.

There was no point keeping quiet now, I was too close. With a shriek of victory I leapt into the air, claws outstretched towards the younger one. Just before my claws sank into her skin, I saw recognition flicker in her eyes.

"NO, ALEX!"

_**LILY! LILY PLEASE NO!**_

The scream echoed, unending, relentless…

"**ALEX! Wake up! Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"**

My eyes opened. I was lying on my back, and Lily was bending over me, shaking me. I was in the bed again, with the covers pulled up to my shoulders. I was sweating profusely, shaken by the terrifying detail of the nightmare. For a moment, we locked eyes, and then I looked away, sitting up. _That nightmare… it seemed so real. TOO real. That's never going to happen… right?_

…_._

_Right?_

No matter how I phrased the words inside my head, it never sounded believable. I was shaken out of the train of thought as Lily put her hand on my shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "It's all right, Alex, it was just a dream," she murmured quietly, her eyes full of sympathy. Pity. I didn't want to be pitied by those eyes; by my own sister. I managed a faint, weak smile at her words, but I didn't put any heart into it. She continued to rub my shoulder comfortingly, and eventually my heart rate decreased. It was then that I realized it was raining. The droplets beat a light tattoo on the canvas roof, and a faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The Duchess was absent with the tent, along with two of the firearms that were stacked in one corner.

"Dr. Artemis is still calling a search for you, Alex. The Duchess left to 'help' search for you," Lily said, grinning and making air quotes on the word 'help'. I grinned a little at that, but anxiety gnawed at my insides. _She's not going to stop searching, is she?_ I bit my lip, worrying it between my sharp teeth until I tasted the metallic tang of blood. Sensing my discord, Lily's hands wrapped around one of mine, and she smiled at me.

"Don't worry, Alex. We'll make sure you will stay safe," she said, her voice childishly confident. Just how was she so certain, so confidant that this cursed life would have a happy ending? I hadn't looked too far into the future. At best, my existence would be in the shadows of humanity; hiding away, hoping that I wouldn't be discovered and killed, that I'd have to combat the inner hunter every day. And then I would die. Death: the final darkness that I could never escape from again. It had felt like my life was a video game, only there were no save points, no restarts.

How would it feel to die again? To have everything go blank and dark, casting off the mortal shell as the heart beat slower and slower until it finally stilled, how the brain still clung to consciousness until the bitter end, allowing a horrible sense of perspective that the end was nigh. I shuddered, and with my free hand tugged the blankets up. My hand was so whole, so physical; **present.** Would death take it away again? When I died, would I feel the loss of touch and smell and sight and taste and sound? It was too much. Like the inner hunter, I pushed the thought of death to the far reaches of my mind, burying it as much as I could. _Just don't think about it. It will only make everything worse._

"Alex? Are you okay?" It was Lily again, her voice full of concern. She had noticed my blank stare, how I had shivered, the covers, everything. I nodded weakly, trying to smile but failing terribly. For the thousandth time, I thanked the high heavens and any greater powers for blessing me with my sister. How everything was turning in my favor. My stomach interrupted my thoughts this time. Feeling my face go slightly red, I glanced down at my bare chest. When was the last time I had eaten? Lily giggled at the sound, and then her giggles turned into full-blown laughter as my face turned redder. "Alright, let's get you something to eat," she teased, her grin infectious, "I think we have some canned meat left over. Wait here, I'll get it."

The communications room in CEDA Base #666 was a flurry of flashing buttons and dials interwoven with a labyrinth of cables and wires. There were two swivel chairs set up at the dashboard, the area surrounding it littered with empty food cans and water bottles. There were two headsets lying abandoned on the dashboard, where two men would moniter communications with the other bases in case of emergency or important event. Usually the two men would be on 7-hour shifts, around the clock, 24/7. But now the communications room was deserted as a shadowed figure eased the door open with one gloved hand, the hinges barely making a sound. The shadow figure was dressed in a pristine white lab coat, with a crisp identification tag and outfitted in latex gloves.

The man known as Dr. Kyle adjusted his glasses, and ran fingers through his short black hair, his face creased in concentration. It was a habit born due to stress, and right now the man known as Dr. Kyle was in a lot of stress. Dr. Artemis had apparently gone off her rocker over the escape of the infected boy, and now… this.

The man known as Dr. Kyle cleared his throat, remembering the scene he had found in that locked room in the base. He had seen blood and bodies before, so seeing the dead Lieutenant's body had not been shocking. He already knew the murderer. But what stressed him was how far Dr. Artemis had fallen, and how far she was willing to go to get her revenge on the infected. He had seen the actions of manmen (or in this case, madwoman) before. It always ended in tragedy, especially in the military.

From his lab coat pocket he withdrew a crumpled piece of paper. Bending over the radio, the man known as Dr. Kyle fiddled with the dials, setting it according to the numbers on the paper. He slipped on the headset as a woman's voice echoed through the radio.

"Report. State Beta."

It was a code, of course. The man known as Dr. Kyle cleared his throat and recited the code he had memorized by heart.

"State Zero-Six-Nine-Zeta. Codename Hellspawn, Agent Steven Wilson reporting in from CEDA Base #666. Mark 3. Over," he stated into the microphone. There was a moment of silence, and then the woman's voice replied:

"Continue, Agent Steven Wilson. Mark 1. Report on Infected individual Alex Kessler Roberts. Operation Liberty Purge approved. You may proceed. Reinforcements will arrive at the pre-determined time. Over."

The man known as Dr. Kyle sighed in relief at the clearance. Finally, this madness would be over. He stood up, disconnected the radio, and turned around, closing the door behind him as he left the room. He froze, however, at the cocking of a gun.

"Going somewhere, _Dr. Kyle?"_


	15. Complications

**Author's Note:**

**ENJOY.**

**~x~**

**Chapter 14- Complications**

The man known as Dr. Kyle slowly turned around, his expression calm, his insides cold. Dr. Artemis was standing to the side of the door, her eyes blazing. Her petite form was smaller than ever. She had lost weight, and was gaunt, skeletal. Her red hair was matted and greasy, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She had clearly not slept recently, probably since the boy had escaped. But the man known as Dr. Kyle's eyes were drawn to the gun in her hand, safety off, primed and ready for use. And, of course, pointed straight at his heart.

"Actually, yes, I am going somewhere, Dr. Artemis. My shift is over, my work is done, and I am returning to my quarters, " He replied, his tone calm, though his eyes never strayed from the barrel of the gun.

The woman sneered at him, revealing teeth stained a light brown from too many cups of coffee, something that was supposed to be restricted on base. Clearly, Dr. Artemis had no regard for rules anymore.

"I believe, _Dr. Kyle_, that your shift has been over for the past two hours. Now," she said, her voice a harsh, low snarl, "I believe it is time to tell me why you are here, _Special Agent William Stevens."_

She had heard the entire conversation. She knew. The man known as Dr. Kyle broke out into cold sweat. What now? Her hand twitched on the gun, and the man known as Dr. Kyle, no, Special Agent William Stevens flinched visibly. Of course, Dr. Artemis noticed this, and her cruel sneer widened. There was an insane light in her eyes as she toyed with the trigger of the gun, like she was some child playing cops and robbers. However, William Stevens remained silent, and they both stood there, one staring at the gun, the other focused on the man.

Impatient, the woman jerked the gun towards him in a shoving motion. "Tell me why you are here!" she hissed, her brows drawn together in an angry expression. The gun inched closer, now within reach of the Special Agent. The man eyed it, calculating. Dr. Artemis had not noticed her mistake. If he kept her distracted for long enough he could swat the gun out of her hand. After that, it would be simple to pin her down and restrain her using his superior body strength. Against someone who was running on caffeine, no sleep, and insanity, it would be simple. For now, he decided the best distraction was to answer her question.

He cleared his throat. "My mission was to monitor the actions and movements of this base and report back to CEDA headquarters. If something catches my interest, I am to report it back to headquarters." He said, his voice only quivering slightly. Dr. Artemis stared at him for a few moments, a very picture of disbelief etched on her features. "And what," she spat out, inching the gun closer still, "have you reported?"

The Special Agent's mouth twisted into a smile. "Why, I have reported that the both, Alexander Kessler Roberts was transformed into a Hunter, yet his brain scans report that he can think and act just like you and I. Perhaps we will be able to find what made him so resilient to the Green Flu mentally, and even find a cure, if possible. I have also reported your unwillingness to send the knowledge to headquarters, instead tormenting the subject based on your insane decisions. I have reported that you have gone insane, driven mad by the infection. I have also reported that you killed the Lieutenant, and hid his body in that spare room. And now, I have reported that headquarters should take action. They are coming to collect the subject, and relieve you of command. **That**, Dr. Artemis, is what I have reported," he said, his grin turning into a leer as he watched the expression of confusing, rage, and something like fear, flicker across the face of the mad scientist. Her grip on the gun slackened for one second, and that was all that Special Agent William Stevens needed.

In one move, he dropped down to one knee, lashing out at the gun-wielding hand. Dr. Artemis, surprised by the movement, reacted too slowly, and the gun flew out of her hand, and then skidded to a halt about ten feet away. Disarmed, the woman backed up, but the Special Agent had no intention of letting the mad scientist escape. He lunged for her, wrapping his arms around her torso and throwing his weight on her, pinning her to the ground.

"You will be taken to headquarters and you will attest for your crimes against CEDA," he grunted into her ear as Dr. Artemis struggled futilely underneath him, trapped by the weight and strength of the man above her. "LET ME GO! NO ONE CAN STOP IT NOW! NO ONE!" she screamed, her eyes ablaze with a fell, insane flame.

"Stop…what?" The Special Agent gasped into her ear as he struggled to keep the madwoman down. For her size, she was fighting with an almost inhuman strength. It was pure adrenaline, fueled by her insanity and mass amounts of anger.

At his words, however, Dr. Artemis stopped her struggles, turning her face to look straight at him.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking this base with me," she whispered, a maniac grin spreading across her face.

"What?"

He stared at her, clearly mad, clearly dangerous, grinning at him as though they were discussing a picnic instead of murder.

"You heard me," she giggled, leaning closer to his ear, "_and that includes __**you**__ as well, Special Agent."_

And then she lunged upward again, driving one knee into William Steven's groin. Surprised by the sudden struggle, the Special Agent went limp as the bony knee connected with his groin. A spasm of pain temporarily paralyzed him, long enough for Dr. Artemis to wriggle out from under his grip.

"Gonna have to make this quick," she muttered under her breath, reaching into her lab coat pocket, "have to find the monster. Then this will all be over…."

From her pocket she drew out a scalpel, carefully polished and honed to perfection. The Special Agent's eyes widened.

"Luckily for you, I brought both a gun **and **a knife to this fight," she snickered, bending over him.

"No, no, please don't," the Special Agent, whimpered, his eyes widening further still. He had survived the zombies and the training, but his death was going to be at the hands of a madwoman corrupted by the Green Flu in a psychological way. It was not the way he wanted to die.

"Too bad, so sad," Dr. Artemis crooned, her face softening into a soft smile as she lined up the scalpel's edge with the jugular vein on the man's neck.

"Good night, _Dr. Kyle."_

The madwoman pushed the blade down. Red and black flowers blossomed across the Special Agent's vision, and he felt the strength leaving him. Warm, he was so warm… Someone was petting his hair gently; it was Dr. Artemis.

"Shhh. Sleep now," she said, soothingly, mockingly.

And then William's eyes rolled up into his head, and he saw no more.

Everything had gone so wrong. Ten hands held me down as someone fastened the so-familiar chains around my neck, arms, and legs, restraining me. I was so helpless. Rain was still falling from the dark, cloudy sky as the survivors dragged me from Lily's tent, ignoring her sobs and tears. The Duchess wasn't present; at least, I couldn't see her from my position. I remained limp as ten hands carried me through the camp, mostly deserted because everyone took shelter in the giant white tents. I could hear Lily shouting my name as her voice got further and further away, and I weakly protested, trying to shift my head to get a look at her. The hard butt of a gun slammed down against the back of my head, and I briefly blacked out.

When I came to, the five survivors were still carrying me, the rain was still pouring (I was already soaked, wearing nothing but the black boxers), and there voices all around me. I could hear Lily still sobbing, further away, and someone was muttering words to her that I couldn't hear, probably the Duchess. I kept my eyes closed. I did not want to experience another gun to the head again.

The survivors were discussing me, well, what to do with me. Some were talking about alerting the guards in animated Southern accents, others were arguing that it was a 'survivor's problem'; that I had been a survivor before turning, and that it was up to all of them to decide what to do with me.

"For now, put it in that cage in the center of camp. You know, the one that the guards use when they want to put on an example. It can suffer in there while we decide what to do. Also, someone got alert that crazy scientist woman. She would throw a fit if she found out we got the Hunter and no one told her."

There was a general consensus, and the five survivors carrying me moved forward again. There was a loud clanging of iron, and suddenly I was dropped onto the ground. I landed heavily on the cage floor, and I curled up to try and ease the new aching in my ribs. I heard the chink of chains, and something being moved. And then, the slam of the iron door again, then silence. I opened my eyes to see the metal floor beneath me. The chains on my hands and feet were long enough to allow some movement, but not enough to be able to leap or attack anyone. The chain around my neck was attached to a post in the center of the cage, so that I was like a dog on a leash.

I was still soaked to the bone, and when I looked up I saw that the cage had no lid, nothing to shelter me from the sun or rain. There were only more bars, to ensure I couldn't escape that way. I was in the clearing in the center of the survivor camp, surrounded on all sides by white tents. I could see curious people poking their heads out of their tents, wondering what all the commotion was. But that wasn't what concerned me. The Scientist was coming. She was coming to finish the job she started when I first turned.

I curled up into the fetal position, wrapping my arms around my knees, shivering in my soaking boxers and wet skin.

I felt so alone.


	16. The Outsider

**Author's Note: Another chapter done. I thought I'd flesh out Alex's character, because I felt his personality and such wasn't getting as much attention as it needed to be. As such, any concrit and feedback is much appreciated in the form of reviews!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 15- The Outsider**

It had only taken one person to ruin everything.

And now I was huddling here, slowly freezing to death in a soaking wet cage dressed in nothing but boxers. I shivered as the rain beat down on me, trying to force my limbs to get as close as they could to my body to conserve warmth, my head tucked against my chest. It was difficult, the chains restricting my movement and leeching my hard-won warmth. There was nobody around in sight; presumably everyone was inside the tents to get out of the rain. Even the people who had carried me here and chained me inside the cage were gone.

Due to the rain, I couldn't see very far; just enough to see the tents, stark white against the dark atmosphere, the giant dark blur of the walls and tiny shadows I took to be guards moving the top. I shifted slightly, turning my head to the other side of the cage. There were the fields, and then… my heart stalled a beat as I saw the looming, ominous outline of the research lab, barely fifty yards. And inside the large compound… The Scientist.

I refused to call that _monster_ by her real name.

She was waiting, waiting for me to get caught, so that she could resume her sick torture disguised as 'experiments'. And no doubt, she would punish me for managing to escape her once…

A shiver ran through my entire body, rattling the chain around my neck and the ones around my hands and feet. For once, the ever-increasing rain didn't cause it.

_Nonononononono! You just had to go get caught, Alex! And now… now… she's… she's... going to __**punish**__ you…_

I didn't want to think about it. My body was reacting already, full-bodied tremors that I was helpless to stop. Every place where there had been a bruise, a cut, a burn from the cattle prods was aching, the phantom memory of pain flooding through my senses. My breathing sped up as I tried not to think of the pain she would surely send me through very, very soon.

Only this time, there would be no Lieutenant to delay her, no Lily to shield me from her prying eyes, no Duchess to draw off the guards and waylay the search this time. My luck had dried up with the end to this first, and now last, escape attempt. My eyes traced the patterns made by the drops of rain on the metal flooring of the cage as my horrible, imaginative mind brought forth images of future tortures the Scientist came up with.

Nothing I did could tear my mind away from the idea of the pain I would feel in the near future.

For once, the inner Hunter was utterly silent. This surprised me. The infected conscious brought forth by the Green Flu was usually thrashing around, shrieking madly like a plague-stricken rat without break or pause. I knew it was still there, a maleficent presence hovering at the edge of my collective conscious, but now it was quiet. I should have been glad, but the lack of "noise" frightened me now.

What did this mean?

A silent, mental hiss was my only warning before unbidden images of my past flashed before my eyes. The first series of images was of me before I had arrived at CEDA Base #666, when I was wandering the states, alone, hopeless, a desperate teenager trying to get by during the end of human civilization.

Resting on only a few nightmare-plagued hours of sleep in the few safe rooms, sometimes outside of the 'secure' areas.

Feasting on anything I could get my hands on, even if it meant stealing from empty houses and stores… and sometimes other survivors.

Dulling my taste buds so that everything tasted the same from a can.

Avoiding the larger cities, knowing the sheer numbers of infected there… instead sticking the most desolate places I could find.

Running from the larger, 'special' infected, staying still for hours and praying to whatever governs the heavens above for a quick death if I was caught.

Learning how to swing a melee weapon and withstand the recoil of a gun.

Puking up whatever I'd eaten after hiding underneath a corpse's guts for an hour to hide from a pack of territorial survivors who murdered zombies and humans alike for the hell of it. 'Angels of Death' or whatever their name was.

Staring up at the sky for all of the second day of the apocalypse, eyes red from crying and smoke, clothes torn and blood-splattered, silently asking why this happening, gripping the photo of Lily.

Eyes dulled by the death and destruction around me as I stared at the sky again after encountering a Tank and watching the deaths of a group of survivors. Limping into a muddy ditch, ankle twisted after an encounter with a Charger.

Back when I had been human.

My attitude back then had been an instinctual, primitive desire to live, no matter what the odds or circumstances. There was no hope. There was no escape. There was only the dead and I. The only feeling had been the long fear of death that all humans had. A simple fight-or-flight gut instinct at first, and then an egging need to return to the normal, peaceful, spoiled life I had lived before all of this.

And then… and then… I wanted to find the one person I loved the most, like the selfish person I was. I had wanted to find Lily; despite the odds being that she was one of the walking dead ambling outside whatever shelter I had taken for the night, or dead.

The CEDA base had been salvation to someone like me. A pinnacle of human order and might against this chaotic nightmare that had taken over my world.

What came next...? I already knew too well.

The rain beat a frenzied tattoo on the metal floor of the cage and on my back. Why? Why was the inner Hunter showing me these images? I could taste salt on my tongue as tears rose to my eyes, merely adding to the soaked state of my face. But the infected conscious wasn't done yet. It thrust another series of images in front of my unwilling eyes.

This time, it was before the Green Flu ruined everything. It was when I was living the same existence as millions of teenagers born in the United States. The time when the bullies at school forced me to get the small blue diamond tattoo on the right sole of my foot. One of their fathers had been a drunkard as well as a tattoo artist, and after several drinks he had been delighted to imprint my skin with the ink pen. I had limped around for days after that.

The small tattoo had remained on my foot, even to this day…

The next image the inner Hunter showed me included Lily. It had been summer at the time, the year after the tattoo incident. We were at my cousin's house in California, visiting for a family reunion. She lived near the sea, overlooking a beautiful beach. Right by her house was a bench for viewing the sun setting over the sea.

Lily and I were sitting there, staring at the crimson sun slowly sinking over the horizon. I had been crying then, crying from the pressure my parents had been putting on me to look into programs so that I could start working towards a career. Being only 10 years old then, it had felt like too much to do so much and I had realized I didn't want to grow up. Lily had held my hand for an hour and a half, whispering words of comfort even though she was the younger one.

The memory was bittersweet, because now… I realized I would never have the chance ever again to choose how I grew up. The end of the world had taken it out of my hands.

By the time the images had stopped I was sobbing into my bound hands, the salty tears mixing in with the rainwater. The infected conscious, the inner Hunter, having finished showing me the images, retreated back to the edges of my collective conscious silently, radiating a pleased feeling… sort of like _satisfaction_. I was too busy weeping loudly at the realization of just how screwed up my life was.

**_Why? WHY CAN'T EVERYTHING GO BACK TO NORMAL? WHYWHYWHYWHY?_**

I screamed all this to the dark, thunderous sky with a wordless scream, my voice taken by the infection and this cursed existence. The scream lasted as long as I could hold it, and then I fell silent again, panting for breath, my body wracked with sobs. I knew it would probably be a bad idea to fall asleep in freezing cold weather, but now I didn't care anymore. I just didn't want to feel anything anymore.

* * *

Dr. Artemis frowned at the soaked survivor that was currently dripping mud, water, and who knew what other filth onto the floor of her office. Her heart was beating rapidly, too quickly to be healthy. She had just concealed the body of 'Dr. Kyle', cleaned off the blood and everything; it was too soon for any report of any missing people or dead bodies to be reported…

"Miss…" the man began, and Dr. Artemis's face twisted into a scowl. Annoying, ignorant carriers, and their lack of manners!

"It's 'Doctor' to you," she retorted, just barely keeping the malice out of her voice. The man was poorly dressed, with a ratty raincoat and torn up, faded flannel shirt and jeans. His boots were at least a size too big and had dirt, manure, and other unnamable filth plastered all over them. His face was pockmarked with scars from work accidents, or from the apocalypse in general. He looked at everything with a nasty squint, and his jaw was lopsided, giving him a permanently surprised face. All in all, he was disgusting, and she would rather not deal with him right now.

The man looked a bit startled at her words, but he squared his jaw and spoke again.

"Alright, then, Doctor, I've just come here to report. So me and my fellows were patrolling 'round the campsite when we heard strange noises coming from this one tent. We'd heard your announcement about that Hunter boy being on the loose, and as concerned people we all voted to send Luke inside to see what was the matter…" he started to ramble, and Dr. Artemis found herself automatically tuning the man out.

'Patrolling the campsite', her ass. She knew what he had been really doing, which was chugging the leftover beer the survivors had stowed away somewhere (they were making distilleries with the grain they had harvested before she put a stop to that) and then wandering the camp piss-ass drunk. The investigation of the strange noise was the courage that came in bottle. Dr. Artemis tuned back into the conversation when the man finally got to the point.

"… And so he comes running out of there, screaming about how the Hunter boy was leaning over the girl in the tent, like he's about to attack her. 'N so we all go barging in and grab the sucker by pinning him down-" he was stopped short by Dr. Artemis's excited gasp.

_This… this was excellent._

"So you captured the Hunter?" she demanded, half rising from her chair. The man shrank back a little, stuttering incoherently. He could see the insane light in her eyes re-igniting.

"Y-y-yes, Doctor, I just said-" Dr. Artemis cut his sentence off, however, with another question of her own: "Where is he? Is he secure? I swear if he runs off again-"

The man, annoyed at the interruption, cut her off this time. "He's in the cage the guards use when they make examples and stuff, you know the place. He's all chained up too, he won't be getting out anytime soon." He said, and Dr. Artemis nodded.

_It's back; I've caught it again this time. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on it… I'll teach that beast not to run from me ever again._

A smile crept across her features; the news had put her in an excellent mood again.

_I'll leave it out in the cage tonight; let it get a tiny taste of the suffering to come. Oh, ohohohoho no doubt the wretch have worked itself into quite the panic by the time I come. How it will cower away when it sees me coming, maybe struggle against the chains, futile of course. I'll never let it escape it again; even the beast will know that._

The man had left the room by the time she came out of her cheerful daydream, but she no longer cared about him. There was so much to do, so much to accomplish before the wretched agent's military back up arrived. Still, she had time, time before her plan was complete and her twisted dreams fulfilled. Dr. Artemis stepped out of her office and into the hallway, whistling a tune that had been popular before the apocalypse cheerfully. Everything would be done in time. But now, it was time to teach that filthy beast a lesson, once and for all.

* * *

"Can't I go out to see him? No one will be there, and he'll freeze to death in this weather?" Lily begged, throwing a desperate, longing glance to the tent flap. It was the only barrier between her and her poor, poor brother, who was now stuck outside in the freezing storm. She had to go to him, to whisper words of comfort, empty as they were.

She couldn't free him from his prison, although she had tried. The Duchess assured her that there was nothing she could do. The older woman shook her head for what had to be the hundredth time, feeling irritated. However, she still spoke softly with the desperate girl in front of her. Getting angry with Lily would get nothing done.

"For the last time, Lily, no. I'm sorry, but there's nothing that I could do now that the boy's been caught. Even if I could, what could we do? We can't hide him here again, now that the drunks know which tent Alex was in, and there's nowhere in the base where he could stay safely. He can't go outside the base; that's out of the question. So for now, all we can do is wait." She finished, her voice soft as she looked at Lily's red, tear-stained face.

The girl had cried buckets after Alex, her precious brother, had been taken away. She had confessed that if she had been a bit quieter, if she hadn't encouraged Alex to try and make some noises of communication… She had just wanted to hear his voice again, like before he had been transformed by the apocalypse…

The Duchess had said nothing at that. It was up to Lily to work out her issues with Alex by herself. She would offer assistance to the girl whenever she could, but in the end it was Lily's choices that would make or break the girl's heart. But still, she had been crying and sobbing on and off for a good amount of time, and the Duchess knew that it would continue for most if not all of the night. She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Look, I'll go check up on him for just a second, okay? Please, Lily, I just want the best for you. If I do this, will you promise not to go out later? I don't want you getting in trouble for this…" she said. Lily looked up her with such desperate eyes; the Duchess's heart felt a giant pang of pity.

"…Yes, please." Lily murmured, launching herself, wrapping her deceptively tiny arms around the Duchess and squeezing her in a bone-crushing hug. The older woman sighed, extracted herself, and petted Lily's hair before motioning towards the bed.

"I'll be back in a minute, get ready for bed while I'm gone, okay?" she said, and the younger girl nodded.

"Good."

The Duchess ducked out from under the tent into the pouring rain. Within seconds, she felt soaking wet. _How can the boy survive a night in this weather?_ Shaking the thought aside, the older woman made her way through the white tents and towards the clearing, where the iron cages stood. The Duchess paused at the edge of clearing, trying in vain to scope the area out. There didn't seem to be anyone out, but one couldn't be sure…

From the cages sounded a loud, shrill, drawn-out scream. It cut through the pattering of the rain with the sharpness of a knife slicing through hot butter. The scream was not one of anger and hunger, but it echoed feelings of true despair, agony, sadness, and desperation along with alien, animal note interwoven among the chords. It was a melancholy sound, one that would probably haunt the Duchess for a long, long time.

...

She wished she had not heard it.


	17. Ecce Monstrum

**Author's Note:**

**Phantom has finals. Must study. I'll put this up now, rather than later, so you can enjoy this while Phantom labours at Finals. During the break, I'll update this with a SUPER long post. Cheers!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 16-Ecce Monstrum **

I couldn't feel any of my limbs. I wasn't sure how much time had passed. It could've hours or mere minutes for all I knew. Chained in the cage, there was no escaping from the chilling rain or the harsh wind, and dressed only in the boxer shorts, I was shivering violently. I had adopted the pose of a hunched over position on my knees, where my arms were cradled between my stomach and my legs. My forehead rested against the wet, cold steel floor, rain dripping from my soaked hair onto my face and floor. I had learned from a camp instructor many, many years ago that it was vital to preserve warmth. _How can I ever get warm in this weather?_ All of my limbs were shivering violently, my body's automatic reaction to the absence of warmth. There was nothing to do. Even sleep was denied to me. There was only the cold, steel base, the pattering rain, and I.

The wind started to pick up, howling loudly through the camp and rattling the chains in my cage. I tried to huddle up as much as I could, to present as small a target as I could as well as conserve my warmth and energy. The inner Hunter was silent, for once, and it seemed to just be sulking in the back of my mind, doing whatever it did in my subconscious. Did it really matter anymore? I was certain, absolutely certain, that the Scientist would punish me. Harshly. Perhaps what she would do to me might end in death. Was I afraid? Yes. I was terrified. I didn't want to die, at least not yet. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the entire base, and thunder boomed out just a few moments later. I remembered what it was like outside of the base in the storm. The infected would be driven wild by the constant noises of the storm, and while the storm masked any noise a survivor made, if the infected spotted anyone they would attack. And in the low visibility, fighting off a horde was very, very difficult. Was there infected out there right now, pounding on the solid walls of the base, lured by the sight and smell of survivors? I didn't know, and I would probably never know as well.

But now I could hear footsteps approaching, even over the storm. I uncurled from my ball of warmth, wary of whoever was approaching. It was two guards, dressed in armor, and holding the makeshift shock sticks I hated so much. I knew they had come to collect me. One of them was carrying something white, like a shirt of some kind. A strait jacket, I realized, reinforced in some way so that I couldn't break free. _KILl.. THEm,... TheY ArE…. WEAK…. YoU aRE STRONG… KilL ThE WEAK… bEcoME STRONG oN their FLeSH…. KILL __**HER. **_

For a second, I wanted to obey the voice. My body tensed up, ready to spring, ready to embrace the instincts I had denied for so long. Undaunted, the guards came closer, and my growls did not deter them in the slightest. The inner Hunter was still snarling at me when one of the guards, as casually as can be, jabbed the shock stick through the bars and right into my left rib. For a second, there was nothing. And then the stick flared to life and suddenly I was unable to breathe. Pain blossomed from the point of contact like liquid fire, spreading everywhere. Everything was burning with pain and tension, but all that escaped my mouth was a hoarse, dry whimper and hiss. Then the shock stick was removed, and I fell to the floor, my limbs refusing to obey me. There was now a giant black bruise on my chest from the point of contact, and my breath rattled in my throat. There was nothing I could do, no retaliation as one of the guards unlocked the cage and entered, still holding the shock stick threateningly. I was roughly picked up and the all too familiar muzzle forced over my face, the bit wedged between my teeth. The strait jacket was put on next, and my arms were locked into place and tied tightly. I remained limp the whole while, my nerves still recovering from the overload of pain and signals. My eyes flicked to both of the guards; I had never seen either of them before, no surprise there. They unlocked my collar from the cage's post, but left the chains on my legs untouched. Easily, as if they were merely lifting a ragdoll, one of the guards hefted me up onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry. I was glad that he did so; if they had tried to drag me there, it would've been both lengthy and painful. The Scientist probably would've enjoyed seeing that. _YoU aRE WEAK, sO WEAK…. We Can MAKE YoU STRONG…_

I didn't want to hear the infected voice; almost identical to my own when I was able to speak, but heavily distorted and scratchy.

_Shut up. You're nothing but a voice. _I shot back, for the first time directly answering the inner Hunter as the guard carried me towards the twin steel doors of the main lab area. As we passed through the double doors, the infected laughed, something only a depraved, sick subconscious could manage inside my head.

_NoTHING? HahAhaaha! WE aRE so MUCH MORE._

This conversation was scaring me. When had the inner Hunter become this self-aware? The last time I could remember, it was screaming, ranting, whispering in a barely-comprehensible string of human words and phrases. But now… Now it was forming sentences, actively **replying** to me… What had it become now? What did this mean for me now? Did this mean it would become harder and harder to resist the inner Hunter's impulses? God, I hoped not. I shuddered involuntarily, and felt the guard's shoulder beneath me shift slightly. I had not resisted as the guards had carried me down insanely bright hallways, through which I kept my eyes tightly shut. I was effectively blind as the guards walked on through the giant labs. I heard faint voices around me, but I couldn't place who or where they were. I couldn't hear the Scientist's voice among them, a small blessing for now.

Finally, I heard the sound of a door opening and I was thrown unceremoniously into a dimly lit room. Footsteps followed rapidly, and I hear chains clinking. I weakly hissed in pain as a guard grabbed me by the hair and hauled me into an upright sitting position. I was bound with my back against what felt like a wooden post, and then the guards retreated. My eyes opened, and before one of the guards closed the door to the small room I made eye contact. The man was only thirty-something years old, young. He had an oval-shaped face, heavily tanned from being stationed here for so long. His eyes were light blue; almost the same shade as Lily's eyes, and his hair was a light chestnut color. It was basically in a buzz cut, his hair just recently growing back after someone had shaved it bald. The guard was dressed in grey camouflage and combat boots. Yellow eyes met blue, and we both stared at each other for about a minute. Then the man's face creased and he spat on the floor before slamming the door shut. I lowered my eyes to the floor as the lock clicked, leaving me in the semi-darkness, alone again.

I don't know how much time passed before someone unlocked the door again. I had gone into a bit of a daze, just staring at nothing in particular through half-lidded eyes. I could hear something moving faintly in the hallway, like footsteps, and I could just barely smell something like coffee. Where had I smelled that before?

_**SHE COMES.**_

The warning was all that I had before the lock clicked on the door and it swung open. The same guard walked in, carrying what looked to be a small, portable grill that was made for camping trips. And behind him…

She smiled at me, her cold, cruel smile baring all of her coffee-stained teeth in a sort of maniac grin. I squirmed uselessly, both the strait jacket and the chains binding me to the post barring any chance of escape. At my struggles, the Scientist only grinned wider, but as the guard turned around she composed her face back into a solemn demeanor. The man refused to look at me while he started up the portable grill, stoking the coals into a white-hot fire. The Scientist watched him do it, her face smug, her eyes burning with madness I had never seen before. I continued my struggles, although it was fruitless, until she pulled one of the shock sticks from out of her lab coat pocket and turned it on. The black bruise hidden under the strait jacket throbbed at the memory of being tazored once today, and I flinched away from the crackling rod, terrified. The bit in the muzzle was chafing my mouth as small growls and whines escaped me. The Scientist seemed altogether pleased at the reaction, and with a flick of the switch she turned off the shock stick and stuck it back into the pocket.

One the flames inside the grill were at an even temperature, the guard stood up and dusted off the front of his camouflage, clearly eager to get out of the room. However, the Scientist stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Reaching down, she picked a bag off of the floor I had not noticed earlier, filled to the brim with what looked like small black plastic boxes. Though faint, I could hear liquid sloshing around inside, so quiet human ears would never be able to hear it, and I could smell foreign chemicals inside the boxes as well. What was inside?

"I want you to get a three-man team together and place these all around the base, especially in key areas of the walls and the lab itself. As you place these, push this-" here she motioned to one of the two buttons on the box, a green one shaped like a square, "-as you do so. Once you've placed them all over the base, report back to me." She spoke, her voice aloof and cold. The man nodded, picking up the bag of the black boxes and heading out of the door without casting a glance back. As he did so, the Scientist strode forward and locked the door again, shutting herself in with me. I wondered what she was going to do to me, glancing at the small grill's fire.

The Scientists maniac grin returned. Out of another lab coat pocket she drew a scalpel; it was shiny, polished to a mirror gleam. I shivered involuntarily, staring wordlessly between her, the scalpel in her hand, and the fire. The Scientist moved towards the grill in a slow, almost dramatic pace, clearly relishing the look of fear upon my face. Slowly, she lifted the scalpel and held it low over the fire, heating up the blade.

"Are you familiar with the story of Prometheus?" she began, staring at me with her insane eyes. "When he formed the creatures of the Earth out of mud and dirt, he gave gifts to every one so it could have an advantage. To the turtles he gave shells, to the birds he gave wings, to the fish he gave gills, and so on. By the time he created man, a complete image of the gods on Earth, Prometheus had run out of gifts to give. And thus man had no claws, no fangs, not even fur to warm himself with. And so Prometheus begged Zeus, the king of the gods, to let Man have the gift of fire, so that he may protect himself from the wild beasts. But Zeus said no to Prometheus, because fire was the gift of the divine, and that no mortal being was allowed to possess it. But Prometheus loved Man so much that one night he stole a branch of fire that was burning in Olympus and brought it down to mankind, and when he did so, a spark of the divine sprung to life in each humans' mind, giving them the gift of intelligence. Mankind rose above the other beasts of the Earth using this divine power, Fire." She finished, and raised the scalpel, the blade now glowing an almost cherry-red from the heat it had received. I knew what she was going to do, and I frantically struggled, growling and whining. Pleading.

The blade hovered mere inches from my cheek, and I could feel the heat radiating off of it. "And now, today, I will use fire to teach you to never try to rise above me, _Alex._ You will bear the scars and you will remember what you are every time you feel their pain and see them on your skin. You are a beast, a monster, nothing more, nothing less," she whispered, and my skin started to smoke as she pressed the flat of the blade onto my cheek.

I remember when I burned my finger when I was little on the gas stove. It had only been an instant of burning pain, and afterwards my mother had been there to soothe away the pain with cold water and a hug. But now… My pained shrieks echoed through the air, so loud, so animalistic. There was a sliver of pain on my cheek, radiating liquid fire through my face and overloading my sensitive nerves. I screamed and screamed, tears streaming from my face and sizzling at they hit the hot blade. But the Scientist didn't stop, no, that would be too merciful. The hot blade started to move, burning new skin, tracing a pattern that I couldn't see. All the while her other hand gripped my chin, keeping my face still as she worked slowly, agonizingly. What was she doing? I didn't know, and I didn't care. I was too busy thrashing and shrieking at a blinding pain in my face and nerves and brain. _Oh god make it stop make it stop someone anyone please just make it stop oh god oh god oh god it hurts it hurtsithurts!_

_We COulD TaKE Her. LeT mE KILL Her!_

Blind fury coursed through the back of my mind, the adrenaline peaking rapidly and numbing some of the pain. Lids snapped open, revealing large, yellow eyes. The Scientist cursed as my body surged forward, arms straining against the bond and the teeth snapping against the bit in the muzzle. She could not restrain my face for much longer. The inner Hunter growled in satisfaction as she pulled back, her eyes bright with anger. The triumphant snarl turned into a soundless scream as her next action caused my eyes to water unexpectedly. The scalpel was still burning as she sunk it into my foot, its blade sinking a centimeter under the surface of the skin. I screamed, a thin trickle of drool coming out of the corner of my mouth. Under the skin it burned even more, radiating pain with the rapidness of a flood. It was too much, way too much pain. My eyes rolled up in their sockets as darkness flooded the corners of my vision. I welcomed the darkness with open arms as it made the pain fade away, fade away…

A horrible smell brought me back to my senses. I coughed heavily, wheezing through hoarse lungs. The Scientist removed the foul-smelling cloth she had placed under my nose, her grin too wide, too crazy. "Now, we can't have you falling asleep during the lesson," she whispered, her voice filled with mocking kindness. The blade was brought up to my face again, and she resumed her carving of my face. I whimpered loudly and frequently, all muscles in my body tensed up at the pain. My lungs were too tired to scream anymore. I ignored the inner Hunter's words; it had caused nothing but more pain again when it had taken over, however briefly. The same blade burning patterns into my skin had cauterized the wound on my foot, the smell of burned skin clogging my nose.

Eventually the blade was removed from my face, and I let out an involuntary sigh of relief. Ten seconds later the sigh turned into another shrill scream. The blade had moved down to my neck, but it only lingered to make a few marks before it was moved down to my legs. I instinctively kicked out, nearly making contact with the Scientist's gut before she dodged aside.

"Stop struggling, bitch!" she hissed, all humor in her tone gone, and I heard the crackle of the shock stick before I lost all the breath in my lungs again. My body arched up off of the ground as the tazer drove currents of electricity over my already burned skin. It was so; so much more painful than the shock I had received earlier. Drool dribbled out of my mouth in a large, wet river, as I could no longer control my reflexes. I twitched and shook even after she removed the shock stick, my body trembling automatically. All of my muscles were on fire. I couldn't even voice my protest as the Scientist resumed her horrid work, my mind too lost in the pain.

What felt like hours later, I slumped forward against my bonds, just barely conscious. She had traced the soles of my feet, burning them so walking or just movement would be agony. She had carved patterns on to both legs, my, and my right cheek, all of which burned with a sort of icy fire. My muscles spasm periodically, shivering with both pain and panic. I felt nothing but terror as the Scientist lifted my chin, forcing my half-lidded eyes to look into hers. "We're not done yet, filth. We have just barely begun. When I'm done with you, you won't be able to even crawl. Mercy is too much for something like you." She spat at me, and then released my head. My head slumped against my shoulder, my eyes wandering over the seemingly random patterns on my legs. Wait… _**No!**_

She had carved words on my legs. Words that I now read, my eyes disbelieving.

_Behold the Monster._

Tears flooded my eyes at the sight. This was too much for me. _I'm not a monster…_ I sobbed silently. _I'm not a monster!_

_**ARen'T We?**_


	18. Prelude to Pieces

**Author's Note: I'll just leave this here. Enjoy!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 17- Prelude to Pieces**

I didn't know how much time passed, being tied to that post in the dark room. After the Scientist had left, I had passed out from the pain. I woke up; sore and too exhausted to even cry. The burns stung and throbbed, the skin black where the heated blade had made contact. The portable grill had disappeared, indicating that someone had visited the room while I was out. My wrists and arms felt numb from the bindings, and I was positioned in such an awkward way that it felt impossible to wriggle so that I felt a bit more comfortable. I was seated directly on my tailbone, which was starting to get that pins and needles feeling. I twisted about, trying to find a better position, but finally I had to accept that my butt was going to be aching for hours after this. I sighed. _Things have finally gone down the shit hole, huh?_ I had been panicking about what the Scientist would do to me, feared for hours in Lily's tent over it, but nothing I had imagined compared to being branded like a beast or criminal.

* * *

Yet again, the Scientist had exceeded my expectations. I trembled a bit at that thought, a shiver rippling down my body at the memory of the woman's face, her insane grin, how she was enjoying every minute, every second of branding me. And yet, with all this power I had been given, no matter how much people feared what I had become, I was still stuck in this dark room that reeked of burned flesh, helpless as a newborn lamb. _Irony, isn't it?_

Heels clacked on the spotless while tile floor. The heels were a designer brand of shoe: once pristine, expensive, luxurious, now smudged with dirt and other filth, worthless in the newer world. However, the owner of the shoes could hardly care less about the appearance. Indeed, the owner's hairy was greasy and tangled, pulled back and forced into a filthy braid. There were dark circles under the eyes, and the usually immaculate make-up was smeared and messy. Her nails had the polish scraped off, and were chipped and cracked in several places. Her lab coat and shirt underneath had light brown coffee splotches, and her teeth were dyed a light caramel. All in all, Dr. Artemis looked like a mess. But she didn't care. She ignored the suggestions of rest and a shower from the rest of the scientists, and merely glared down anyone who gave her a funny look, using her well-known evil eye. She had given everyone orders not to touch the re-captured Hunter, but she was still on edge. _The cavalry is supposed to arrive today, but exactly when? Everything is in place, I've got my last trick up my sleeve, don't panic. But don't rest, and don't take a break! What if they opt for stealth, now that their mole is dead? They'll take you down before you can press the button!_

Instinctively, she reached down into her lab coat pocket, her hands closing around the small black device. It was comforting, cold and slim under her touch. A grin flitted across the Scientist's face, maniac, and cold. _When they come, I'll be ready. And I'll give them the surprise of their life._

* * *

The day at CEDA camp #666 was a typical one. The guards patrolled along the walls, and many of the Carriers worked in the fields, ignoring for the most part the occasional crack of a sniper or any kind of gunfire from the walls. If there was a real cause for panic, the guards would alert the whole camp. Alarms were too dangerous because they attracted so many infected any base would be quickly overwhelmed. After a few incidents reported from other bases, the alarms were disabled and destroyed altogether. As the day progressed, the rain ceased to fall, and the winds lessened considerably, and more of the survivors poured out of their tents to start working. Men and women labored in the fields, tended livestock, and took care of other chores that needed to be done. No work, nothing to eat. Even the children worked, fetching water, shoveling dung, cooking meals and bringing refreshments. In a CEDA camp, everyone worked, and everyone prospered. What could possibly go wrong? But even the best plans could be laid to waste.

There was more gunfire echoing from the walls than usual, but it was largely ignored. Everyone supposed that the storm had riled up the infected nearby, that was all. One girl sat beside an open fire, focused on keeping the cooking fire alive now that the wind and rain had died down. Her arms were streaked with soot and sap, and her hair was tied in a loose ponytail down her back. Nearby, an older woman with silver hair and a pump-action shotgun was quietly discussing the state of the base with a guard dressed in the loose-weave camouflage and body armor. Every so often, the woman would glance towards the girl, who remained silent, focused on her task with the fire.

"So you say she asked you to place some random black boxes all over the camps," The Duchess said her wrinkled face creased into a frown, "And then said that the boxes were 'sensors'?" The young soldier across from her shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hands fiddling with the straps of the gun slung across his shoulder. His face was pale, and young. He couldn't be older than 24, which was a bit young for the military in her opinion. His eyes were a muddy brown, and he had the beginnings of what would be many laughter lines later on. _This man shouldn't be a soldier. He should be at home with his family, but instead he's shooting infected people with a gun he barely knows how to use. The Green Flu sure knows how to change lives._

"Y-yeah, that sounds about right. I went to report to her afterward, but she just waved me away and said that she had more important things to do," The man stuttered a bit, probably from nerves. The Duchess' reputation was very well known between both military and CEDA alike. At his words, her face creased into even more of a frown. "That's strange. She wants you to place sensors, claiming they are important, and then just waves you away afterward? That doesn't make sense," The Duchess mused, placing her hand on her chin. After a few moments she motioned towards the soldier. "Thank you for telling me, er-" she started, and then realized she didn't know the man's name. Thankfully the man caught on. "My name is Tyler, ma'am. Tyler Mason," he grinned after the last part. The Duchess gave a small smile in return. "Yes, thank you, Tyler. I appreciate you taking the initiative here and telling me what you did. Lord only knows how many secrets this camp has…" the last part was muttered to herself as the soldier started to walk away, probably off to join his buddies in the guard barracks. _But now what?_ Tyler had eagerly informed her of all the locations he had been ordered to place the sensors. Parts of the wall, the main door, the labs, the camps, the fields, all key areas in the CEDA base. It made sense, but something put the Duchess off. _Why didn't she do this AFTER Alex escaped? Surely it would've made sense back then, as it would help her locate him if he was just prowling around the camp. But why now? The boy's back in her custody, the poor soul. But now, she has no reason to place sensors. And why would she just brush off the man who placed them? Certainly I would want to check that the sensors work right away, but she said that she had more important things to do. This doesn't add up._

The nearest black box was nearby, just a five minute walk or so. The Duchess spotted it easily, attached to the outer wall. The box came off of the wall easily when she tugged on it. The black box was plain, with no visible markings or dials that she could see save a few grooves along the edges. Cautiously, she shook it. As she suspected, there was something inside it that rattled loudly. Fiddling around with the box, the Duchess soon broke open the outer shell. Inside, there was an off-white rectangle, neatly wired to a detonation device. The Duchess recognized the explosive at once. C-4! _Where the hell did she get her hands on C-4? They don't stock plastic explosives at the bases last time I checked!_

It all made sense now! Having the soldier place the explosives all around the base, the recent disappearances, Dr. Artemis' suspicious attitude and her questionable sanity… _Jesus H. Christ. She plans to blow this place sky high!_

Clutching the plastic explosives, the Duchess dashed towards the nearest soldier.

"You! Yes, you, sonny! Get the hell over here! We got an emergency!" she barked, and the man hurried over. "You recognize these?" she showed him the plastic explosives, and the man blanched.

"Where did you get these?" he whispered harshly, his face paling. "I got a report from a soldier not ten minutes ago. He said that Dr. Artemis told him to place what she called 'sensors' all over the camps, but it was suspicious. I checked one of the boxes out, and when I opened it up, I found this!" she whispered right back, waving the C-4 slightly, "She's placed them ALL over camp! I think she plans to blow up the base!"

"What the fuck do we do?" The soldier's voice rose in panic as his eyes widened, "who will believe this. I can hardly believe this? Why would she do something like this? Why hasn't she detonated them yet?" People were starting to stare, at both the soldier's raised tone and his panicked high pitch.

"Listen very closely to me. Take this to your commanding officer and tell him all that you heard here, and what you know. Find a man named Tyler Mason; he knows all the locations of the C-4. Tell him to also send a few men, heavily armed, to take down Dr. Artemis. But don't let them make a move until we've taken and disarmed all the explosives-"

But then, something interrupted their conversation. There was a faint noise from the distance, something that many of the people had not heard after the apocalypse. Everyone stopped working, stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes towards the sky. There it was, the faint noise of helicopter blades whirling through the air. The noise grew louder and louder, until the guards on the walls could see the flying metal bodies of the helicopters. Everyone waited for something to happen. Were the helicopters friendly? Were they about to be attacked? Hands went to weapons, always on-hand.

"**ATTENTION! PREPARE FOR AN EVACUTION TRANSFER! I REPEAT, PREPARE FOR AN EVACUATION TRANSFER!"**

A man using a megaphone leaned out of one of the smaller helicopters, blaringly oblivious to the amount of noise he was making. Curses could be heard from the walls as the guards stationed there had to deal wit the oncoming horde, gunning them down even as the helicopters circled overhead. The people were in shock. Why hadn't the CEDA scientists at the base alerted them? Surely they had some form of communication between bases? They had no time to pack, no time to get ready.

People were streaming back towards the tents, their voices rising in a swelling cacophony. They were pouring back into their tents, hurriedly packing up clothes and weapons and personal items that they wanted to take with them. Fires were hurriedly extinguished, the farming tools left unattended. The whole survivor's camp was a chaotic mess of people shouting, talking, walking, packing, and moving around.

And the first helicopter started to land, the man in the megaphone leaning out of the window, and as the giant vehicle started to land, the Duchess heard a small beeping noise from the explosives in her hand. In an instinct brought about from many years of combat training and experience, she flung the C-4 away from the camp and herself and shouted, "GET THE FUCK DOWN!" while she tackled the shell-shocked soldier next to her. A few seconds later, she hit the ground, there were screams coming from the survivors camp, and the C-4 detonated.

She was blinded, and she went momentarily deaf as the explosions rocked the world around her. The helicopter exploded, erupting into a pillar of fire and metal. Shards of the walls flew everywhere, along with dirt and smoke. People were screaming now, screaming as the howls of infected echoed through CEDA Base #666. The rain had already attracted a great number of infected, along with the helicopter, but the explosions would attract them for miles around. Hundreds upon hundreds, no, thousands of infected were headed their way right now. Staggering to her feet, the Duchess dragged the other soldier with her, her hand stubbornly clutching the trigger of her gun. The other helicopters were still circling, circling, like giant metal vultures above a dying carcass. Panting, her face bleeding, the Duchess glanced around. The whole place was a mess. There were gaping holes in the walls, blown apart by the plastic explosives, most of the walls crumbling under their weakened supports. The infected were clambering up the ruins of the walls, their shrieks of hunger mixing amongst the screams of the guards dazed by the attack. Their defenses had fallen already, and they were vulnerable.

"Get up! I'm not carrying you!" she shouted at the soldier, who was still in a state of shock from the explosions. He was staring glassy-eyed at the survivor camp, where the white tents were being trampled in panic and gunfire started to echo. The survivors were beginning to fight back, but it was going to be too late. Hundreds of infected were still pouring over and through the walls. The main gates had been blown open, and were hanging off of their hinges. Special infected were already appeared, and the screams of Hunters, the coughing of Smokers, the spit and vomit of Spitters and Boomers were added to the tin. Even worse, the bellowing roar caused the Duchess' spine to stiffen as the Tank bounded through the gate, straight for the survivor camp. Lily was still in there! But her eyes also turned towards the lab, which was mostly intact. Dr. Artemis, the one who had caused all of this, was in there, along with Lily's brother, Alex. But whom would she go to first? She turned back and forth, torn between her loyalty to the girl and the scientist who she wanted to murder.

"Jesus H. Christ," she cursed, and then dragged the soldier with her towards the screaming chaos of the survivor camps. "This is no time for a nap, boy! You have a gun, use it!" she shouted at the soldier, who seemed to be coming back to the world. He shuddered, and then gripped the handle of his gun tightly before nodding. And the Duchess plunged into the fray. People streamed past her left and right, bleeding, screaming, and running away from the main slaughter only to get picked off from the zombies coming from all directions. A tongue ensnared one of them next to her, and he was dragged off, screaming in the direction of the walls before the crowd swallowed him. The Duchess started to fire into the incoming zombies, shouting, "Stick together, people! You have weapons use them! STICK TOGETHER, AND FORM A CIRCLE! FORM A CIRCLE!"

Finally, finally, people were beginning to listen to her. The closest huddled close to her, and slowly, they started to form a loose circle, guns firing, melee weapons swinging. Finally, they managed to clear a small space around them. The Duchess sighed in relief as she spotted a familiar black-haired girl amongst the crowd, wielding a katana with startling ease. "MOVE BACK TO THE BASE! WE CAN STILL GET TO THE CHOPPERS! THEY ARE LANDING ON THE ROOF!" she screamed, making her voice heard about the surrounding noise. Most of the people were armed only with melee, but the circle started to inch slowly forward. "PEOPLE WITH GUNS! CONSERVE YOUR AMMO FOR THE SPECIAL INFECTED. USE MELEE ONLY!"

A Smoker snared a man next to her, but the tongue was severed before he could get more than a few feet away, and he scrambled to rejoin the group. There was so much blood spraying as limbs were hacked off and bodies fell to the ground. The infected kept on coming, a snarling, clawing wave of bodies that piled on the ground in dozens. The Duchess soon found herself climbing over piles of bodies stacked two to three people high. The grass was slick with guts, intestines, and blood, and soon every survivor was soaked in it. One woman was taken down next to her, the infected clawing out her eyes and tearing open her throat. Without hesitation, the Duchess grabbed the woman's melee weapon, an axe, and slung her own gun over her shoulder. She gave the woman a quick death, and then continued on. They were almost to the lab, but the group had taken heavy losses. Half of them were dead, but the others were clutching blood-soaked weapons, grimly holding on as all of them hacked and slashed their way towards the lab. _If we can just get to the lab, we can get to the evac chopper. And inside the hallways, the infected will be stuck in a choke point. It won't be as easy to surround us. We'll take fewer losses that way._

"EVERYONE! HEAD FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE LABS! WE'LL MAKE OUR WAY TO THE ROOF THROUGH THERE!" she screamed, and headed towards the lab, clambering over the mountains of infected corpses, all slicked down with blood. The climb was difficult, but it was difficult for the infected as well. The Duchess buried her axe into the snarling face of the infected that appeared over the top corpse, and it fell back down, to be crushed by the other infected lying in wait. The Duchess could still heard screams echoing from the survivor camp, but she had done all she could. She couldn't save them now, and turning the group around would just doom them all. The main lab doors were just twenty feet away, and they were still intact. _God be praised, we might have a chance!_

When the group arrived, there were only 15 people left, out of the 40 odd something people who had first formed the circle. "COVER ME WHILE I GET THIS OPEN!" The Duchess called, and the group responded accordingly, forming a half circle around her, holding back the waves of zombies temporarily. The Duchess tugged at the steel doors, cursing loudly as the large pieces of metal moved so, so slowly. Finally, she opened it enough for a few people to slip through.

"EVERYONE, INSIDE, **NOW!**"

After her call, the Duchess started to use her gun, discarding the bloody axe on tile floor as she provided covering fire for the remaining survivors outside. Lily was the first one in after the Duchess, and after each survivor limped inside, the Duchess pulled the door shot and bolted the steel bar that would lock it in place. "That's… that's not going to hold for long," she panted, gasping for breath, her adrenaline still rushing through her muscles. She was coated, absolutely painted in gore, and there were bits of flesh and bone and guts stuck to her skin and hair and clothes. All of the other fifteen survivors were in the same state, including Lily. Blood dripped off of them onto the floor, where a great puddle of crimson was already spreading. Behind them, the steel door echoed as the infected outside pounded on it, desperate to get at the living humans inside. "Quickly! We need to barricade the doors!" The Duchess hissed, and looked down the white hallway, to where there were doors on each side. The place was deserted, the scientists gone. Dashing to one of the labs, the Duchess grabbed one of the metal tables and started to drag it towards the steel doors. Catching on, the other survivors spread out, grabbing chairs, tables, anything large and heavy that wasn't bolted down. Soon, a giant barricade had been amassed against the steel doors, but everyone knew they weren't safe. Soon, that Tank that had entered would get tired of the slaughter in the survivor camps and head their way, drawn by the freshly spilled blood and the scent of the still-living humans. That, or the amount of zombies would just overwhelm the barricade.

"We're still not safe. From what I can tell, if the helicopters are still here, we can get evacuated from the roof. The scientists have already cleared out, bleeding cowards, so no need to check. Anyone find anything useful?" The Duchess asked, looking among the weary gore-splattered survivors. One man raised his hand, and then looked a bit sheepish.

"I found these in one of the labs," he said, holding up two pipe bombs, "We could use them on the roof to clear out the infected while we get in the choppers."

The Duchess nodded. "Good work. Now, let's get toward the stairs and onto the roof. Lily, if you want to search for your brother, now's the time, but you'll have to catch up to use. I can't leave these people behind to search for him."

And that was the truth. Lily's brother or not, Alex was still infected, and even if he was human in mind, she had a soldier's priority to save as many lives as possible. Even if it did break her heart as she watched the small girl scamper away, still tightly clutching her bloody machete.

"Why is she leaving?" A survivor questioned, glancing to where Lily was disappearing around a corner.

"One of the scientists had her brother locked up in here before the explosives went off. She wanted to go get him," The Duchess replied, a frown on her face. This seemed to puzzle the rest of them, but they decided not to question it further. "Anyway, she will catch up if she can, but we need to get to the roof as soon as possible. The faster we get there, the better the chance of evac. Let's go."

And with that, the Duchess started down the hallway, picking up her axe and shouldering her gun again. The rest of the survivors followed, leaving a bloody trail of footprints behind them.

The whole layout of the building was a labyrinth. The group passed through corridor upon endless corridor of white hallways and identical doors, holding rooms for infected (everyone avoided these), and many, many dissection tables and operating room. The Duchess hoped Lily knew where she was going (the Duchess had spotted bloody footprints leading off one of the side passages a while back), or else the girl was going to be easily lost, even with the numerous signs pointing in the direction of the stairs. Everyone remained tense, ready to run or fight if the barricade was broken down and the zombies from outside poured in. They hadn't heard any screams, but maybe that was because the walls had been soundproofed. Everything felt quiet, too quiet, after the howling cacophony they had witnessed outside the labs.

And then the group turned the last corner. Down the hallway, at the foot of the stairs, the Duchess spotted a group of scientists just milling about. They looked absolutely terrified, wandering about like a flock of lost sheep. After a few moments, they spotted the Duchess' group, covered from head to toe in gore, carrying weapons.

"Oh thank God! What happened out there? We felt the explosions, but we weren't sure what happened, and Dr. Artemis called us here together, but she disappeared right after that! All the guards are dead, someone slit their throats before anything happened, because when we went to their quarters right after the rumbling stopped they were all lying in pools of their own blood. I think something's at the top of the stairs, we heard some strange noises and since none of us are armed we didn't dare go-" One of the scientists babbled, her voice high pitched because of fear. The Duchess raised one hand to silence her.

"Someone placed C-4 all around the base, and when a few helicopters arrived just about forty-five minutes ago, someone detonated the explosives. Of course, the noise attracted all the infected within 10 miles of here, and they started to swarm in and attack the survivor camps, and that resulted in a massacre. I have evidence that Dr. Artemis is the culprit behind it all, but that's not important. There are helicopters circling this building and I believe they will try to evacuate us if we go onto the roof." She said, and suddenly half the scientists surged for the stairwell, clamoring to be the first one on the evacuation helicopter. The Duchess raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and let the scientists go. The entire survivor group and the remaining scientists listened as the ones eager for evac dashed up the stairs. When the door to the roof opened, however, screams started up, along with shrieks of infected. In about two minutes, the scientists had gone quiet, and the Duchess heard footsteps shambling down the stairs.

"Anyone else want to go dashing in without a plan? No? Good. You-" The Duchess pointed to half of the survivor group, "-get one of the scientists to lead you to the guardroom, I know it is close by. Strip the bodies of their weapons and any supplies you can take. The guards don't need them anymore. Everyone else, help me kill the infected that just got in. Let's move along people, we have work to do!"

* * *

I was scared. A while back, there had been an ominous rumbling, like an earthquake, except this time it didn't feel like an earthquake. _What's going on out there?_ I wished I could hear something, _anything_, but the whole place was as quiet as a grave. Both my body and my mind were on edge, it was so nerve-wracking. But what could I do? The bindings holding me were too tight to wiggle loose, and since I had already lost all feeling my wrists I doubt I could try and work my way free. So all I could do was wait, listen, and dread. I couldn't shake the feeling that the rumbling happened because of the Scientist. What had she done this time?

Time passed by. I wasn't sure exactly, but my internal clock informed me it was about 40-45 minutes that had passed. Now I was getting panicky. The entire lab had remained quiet, too quiet to be normal. There had been no footsteps of scientists or guards passing by, as there usually was, no voice either. It was dead silent, and that scared me. Something was very, very wrong here. I squirmed around a bit, but that just aggravated the burns and did nothing to help me escape. So I just sat still, alone in the dark.

Rapid footsteps pounded down the hall, and I heard the sounds of every door being opened and slammed rapidly. "ALEX? ALEX, ARE YOU HERE? IT'S ME, LILY!" A voice screamed, the familiar voice I knew so well. _Lily?! What's she doing here? What's going on?_

I gave a shriek in reply; using the only sounds I could to grab her attention. The footsteps drew closer and closer until finally the door was flung open. I hissed as the bright light of the hallway shone straight into my eyes, but I could see through half-closed lids the outline of my sister in the doorway. She was clutching a bloody machete in her hand, and she quickly strode over to me, disgust on her face. She was smeared from head to toe in blood, guts, and other nasty bits, the coppery scent of blood assailing my nostrils.

_BLooD, DelIcIouS BlooD…_

_Shut up! _I fought the reflex as my mouth began to salivate, my body programmed to respond to the presence of blood. But why was Lily covered in blood? What happened? Where was the Scientist? Where was anyone else? Why was it so quiet? I rubbed my wrists as Lily severed the ropes, hoping to get the blood flowing back into them, shooting my younger sister a questioning look.

"Someone detonated explosives around the base. Attracted infected for miles. Got away with the Duchess and a bunch of others, barricaded the main doors to the labs but they won't hold for long. Helicopter evacuation up the stairs. We need to move," she explained quickly, hauling me to my feet. I whimpered a little as standing put pressure on the burns, but it wouldn't slow me down too much.

"Here, put this on, it should stop the others from shooting you on sight for now," Lily said, tossing me my old hoodie, "And I'll give you three guesses at who I think blew up our base."

My expression darkened as I slipped the hoodie on and drew up the hood. Of course it had to be Dr. Artemis. The woman was insane, and she was in charge of a great number of supplies. Knowing her, I was surprised this hadn't happened sooner. Lily grabbed me by the hand and tugged me out into the hallway, pulling me along as she started running quickly down the corridors, retracing her bloody footsteps. It was awkward running on two legs, but somehow I managed it, just barely stumbling along. We went through hallway after hallway, corridor after corridor. Finally, there was one hallway where Lily's footprints had separated from a larger mass of blood on the floor.

My head twitched to the side as my keen sense of hearing picked something up. It was faint, so faint, but I could hear it. The wrenching sound of metal against metal echoed in my eardrums from somewhere behind us, but I couldn't place my finger on why this worried me. _Wait. Lily said they made a barricade, right? __**Oh shit.**_

But now I didn't need my superhuman hearing, because the chorus of shrieks, growls, roars, and screams of the infected clearly echoed from behind us. The infected had finally broken past the barricade.

"Run!" Lily screamed, and she doubled her pace, practically flying down the hallway in her desperation to get away from the oncoming infected horde. I couldn't blame her, but it was so difficult keeping up, and her grip was loosening because of sweat… But then, then there was the stairs, and a group of survivors and scientists clustered around it, armed to the teeth.

"THE HORDE IS COMING! They've broken down the barricades!" Lily screamed at them, and I saw the Duchess give a nod to everyone and they started to move up the stairs, where there were already piles of dead corpses. It wouldn't take long for the horde to find us, but maybe there would be enough time to get evacuated. I followed my little sister up the stairs, dressed in nothing but boxers and a beat up hoodie, avoiding the stares of the survivors as best I could.

The roof was covered with zombies, but in such a packed area the melee weapons were devastating. I heard the beeping of a pipe bomb as one survivor threw it off the roof, and we all watched as the sea of zombies down on the ground swarmed around it, burying it with their mass of bodies even after dozens of infected flung themselves from the roof to attack the beeping. There was a muffled explosion, and then another pipe bomb was thrown, clearing off 99% of the roof. The rest were taken care of with a few swings of a weapon, and the helicopters, taking the cue, started to land, hovering just two feet off the surface of the roof. Everyone started to make a mad dash towards the helicopters, desperate to get rescued. All of the scientists piled onto one chopper, accompanied by a few survivors while the rest of us ran towards the second one. There were zombies climbing onto the roof now, no longer distracted by the two pipe bombs, but we were only yards away now-

Something strong grabbed me from behind, a fist ripping off the hood and grasping the roots of my hair. The others didn't see, not until they were already on the chopper. And then Lily screamed my name, and I knew who was behind me. I could smell her now, her foul breath on the back of my neck. It was the Scientist, and now I could feel a harsh pain in my shoulder as something sharp pierced it right through, and I let out a shriek. She was pulling me backward, using her leverage to slowly force me towards the edge of the building, towards the awaiting sea of zombies.

"**You think you can escape me? I may die today, you infected piece of shit, but you can be sure I'm taking you with me!" **She hissed into my ear. We were so close to the edge right now, and I willed to break free, to escape, but my legs were trembling with fear and my whole body felt numb. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. And now the helicopters were slowly rising into the air, and Lily was screaming, the Duchess keeping her from leaping out of the helicopter.

The Scientist grinned. "Not so tough now that you can't hide behind that bitch and her old sheepdog, eh?" she whispered mockingly, twisting the blade deeper into my shoulder. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening-_

We were on the edge of the building now, and I could see thousands of hands outstretched, reaching towards us, eager to rip me apart. Infected or not, I would die if I fell from here. Crushed by the thousands of bodies, or torn apart. The Scientist smiled, and started to lean back, ready to fall. "Time to say goodby-"

"**NOT MY BROTHER, YOU BITCH!"**

The shotgun fired as the helicopter passed by. The Scientist froze, surprise coloring all of her features as bullets tore through her left shoulder. She stared at the smoking gun Lily had fired from the helicopter. And then she began to laugh. Her grip loosened, and propelled by instincts I didn't know I had, I kicked out, propelling myself back onto the ledge of the building. And then I realized what I had done.

The Scientist seemed to fall into slow motion, still laughing on her way down in the awaiting hands of the starving horde. But at the last second, she turned her head, and there was a split second, a mere instant, where she had an 'O' of surprise, and fear written all over her features.

The roars of the horde masked her screams, even before they tore out her mandible. And all I could do was watch as bloody claws pried apart her rib cages, ripped off her limbs, bit off her nose and chewed on her hands. Her intestines were thrown into the air like crimson red party streamers, only to be snatched by more infected and devoured eagerly. The horde was surging around the spot, and now the one person in my life who had put me through so much pain and suffering was reduced to piles of raw meat and bone, and even that was eaten by the hungry horde.

But it wasn't over yet. I looked up to see Lily calling her name, the helicopter slowly moving away, already out of human leaping distance.

"Come on Alex! You can make it!" She called, and I nodded. I could make it. I could do it. The leg muscles reacted accordingly, the joint flexing and building up power. With a single shriek I was propelled through the air, arms outstretched, reaching for the helicopter as my sister's face came closer and closer… And then I caught the edge of the helicopter, and many hands pulled me in. I was pinned to the ground, and the guards started tying me up, but I couldn't care less. There were tears pouring from my eyes as I was forced into restraints, because I had escaped. The Scientist couldn't harm me anymore, and Lily was by my side as the helicopter flew us away from the nightmare below.


	19. An Unexpected Asset

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, guys. u.u School and all that. Just a note: on my dA page, I have put up a bunch of artwork by a friend named Bittergeuse who drew a bunch of beautiful Oath of Sacrifice fanart. If you want to see Alex and others come to life, you should check it out! Link to dA is on my profile page. Thank you all for the kind reviews!**

**~x~**

**An Unexpected Asset**

The helicopter proved to be bumpy, shaky, and ultimately uncomfortable, packed to the brim with scientists and survivors alike, along with myself. Due to the lack of room, I was forced to stand, along with everyone else, but I was near the door, so at least I could look outside. The interior reeked of sweat, blood, and other unmentionable bodily fluids. To a regular human, the stench would be unbearable, but for me, it was overwhelming, not to mention that as an Infected, the smell of blood made my hungry.

My stomach growled loudly, and I rested my forehead against the cool metal of the helicopter shutter door, trying not drool visibly. Hands bound, it was impossible to cover my nose or mouth to attempt to filter the scent. One of the guards was uncomfortably close, his elbow digging into my side, and there were two more people breaking the personal space barrier because of the packed close quarters. However, from what I could tell from their awkward shifting and squirming, the two others were very uncomfortable being back-to-back with an Infected. The jump to the helicopter had proven to everyone watching that they were sharing space with a Hunter. Only the most agile Special Infected would have been able to make that jump, and the flash of teeth and claws had been an obvious giveaway. There had been murmurs of protest earlier on, but the guards had quelled it quickly enough.

The guard at my back did not flinch away or squirm, but instead stood still, gently swaying from side to side as the helicopter ate up the miles. The man was wearing a small oxygen tank on his back, connected via a hose to the gas mask on his face. It made his expression unreadable, and his stance ominous. From what I could tell the rest of the passengers were a mixture of gratitude for being rescued, sorrow for the lives lost, anxiety of what was to come, and disgust at the conditions inside the cramped helicopter. From my position, I could not see Lily or the Duchess, and it was impossible to turn around with no breathing room, and so I stared out of the window. It was almost relaxing, watching the lush, green carpet stretch out as far as the eye could see. Only the occasional abandoned rural towns and ruined houses broke the peaceful façade. From time to time I could see snarling, shabby figures darting and shambling around underneath, shrieking up at the sky as the helicopter passed by but ultimately helpless.

From up in the sky, the infected weren't a threat. Once, I even saw what could only be described as a herd of Tanks, seven of them in all, their torsos half-concealed by the trees. The gargantuan zombies bellowed and roared at the passing helicopter, and one even tossed a slab of dirt and rock, but we were out of range and the slab missed, instead taking out a patch of trees as it landed. And then they were gone, swept out of sight as the helicopter progressed on. Hours passed inside the filthy, cramped cabin, yet no one complained. Anything was better than remaining in the overrun base, and no one wanted to land the helicopter in potentially hostile territory.

It was only when the helicopter started to sputter and dip down that people started to panic. The trees were cut back up ahead, revealing a large, well-organized and pretty city. Everything was deceptively clean and friendly, the buildings in good shape, the streets clear of bodies and (for the most part) trash. All of that was caught at a glimpse as the helicopter circled an open grass field, the engine spluttering. Everyone was calling out, shouting over each other, clamoring to be heard. Inside the small cabin, the din was deafening.

I clapped my hands over my ears as the ground rushed up with dizzying speed. Inside the helicopter, someone was screaming loudly as the helicopter bounced violently on the grassy ground, and there was a screech of metal from somewhere underneath us. The whole vehicle ground to a halt, the whirling blades grinding to a halt. Noxious smoke poured from the pilot's seat, along with heavy cursing. For a few moments of heart wrenching terror, the helicopter skidded along the ground, and for a moment I was sure we were going to flip over. The helicopter spun around in a dizzying 180 degrees, and then finally stopped, the whole thing stinking of scorched metal and fried circuitry. Now that the giant flying metal vehicle was safely on the ground, we all wanted **out. **Arms bound, I was shoved roughly against the door as the crowd surged forward, yanking at the sliding door with many hands.

The sliding door screeched open slowly, and everyone tumbled out onto the smoking grass. The pilot's cockpit was smashed open, thick black smoke billowing out from the inside. I was shoved to the ground by the stampede of survivors and scientists surging out, and only when everyone else was scattered around the crashed helicopter did someone help me stand up. The Duchess hauled me to my feet with one free hand, and Lily latched onto one of my arms, her eyes wide, and her whole body shaking from shock. I couldn't blame her. How could the helicopter crash? Was there any way to repair the damage? Where the hell were we anyway? I didn't know the answer to any of these, but as I watched the helicopter guards drag the body of the pilot through the broken windshield, I suspected our ride was trashed, nice and proper.

Further away from the crash, the survivors and scientists had conformed into two groups, each one staying a small distance away from each other. The survivors looked grim, each one clinging to some form of melee weapon, and some of them had guns slung over their shoulders. By contrast, the scientists looked downright panicky, their white lab coats torn and stained, some of them toting small weapons as well, but nothing like a gun. However, the Duchess appeared unperturbed, her face stony, her hand on her shotgun, which she had reclaimed from Lily. She marched over to the two groups, and with one gestured gathered them into one large huddle.

Lily and I sat down a few yards away, watching the proceedings. All of the humans on the helicopter knew what I was, and I was in no hurry to broadcast my presence. All the survivors had grudges against infected, and I couldn't blame them, but I didn't want to bear the brunt of their blame. _I may be a Hunter, but I did not kill any of their loved ones. I'm just another person who's been screwed over by this goddamn apocalypse._

"Alright. Does anyone know where the hell we are?" whispered the Duchess, motioning around the grassy field and the neat little town just ahead. One of the scientists fidgeted for a moment, before shyly raising her hand.

"We're not in middle school here, no need to do that. Speak," The Duchess spoke, jabbing a bony finger towards the woman. "This is Prattville, Alabama. I grew up here, so that's how I know. We're near Montgomery, and near Interstate Highway 65," the woman whispered, and the Duchess nodded her thanks.

"Alright, the town seems quiet for now. I say we proceed slowly into town armed to the teeth, and then start scavenging for maps and supplies. There doesn't seem to be infected about; the noise from the helicopter would've attracted any in the city," Duchess paused for a moment, her brow creased in thought. For a few moments, there was silence, and then she turned to me. The survivors followed her gaze, and soon everyone was staring at me. Suddenly self-conscious, I shrank back, partially hiding behind Lily. Why was she drawing attention to me? And so I stared back with wide, scared yellow eyes. Some of the survivors had expressions of disgust, fear, and anger, while others looked on with open hostility and curiosity. Most of the curious stares came from the scientists, who had been safe and secure inside their labs when the infection broke out.

"Alex, do you think you could go into town and scout everything out?" The sound of my name forced me out of my staring contest with the rest of the survivors. The Duchess was still looking at me, a thoughtful look clouding her wrinkled face. She wanted me to go scout out the town? Why? Lily echoed my question.

"Why Alex though, Duchess? Why not someone else?" She asked, and the Duchess sighed a little before explaining.

"It's relatively simple. Alex here is a zombie. Don't give me that look, Lily; you know it's true, no matter how much you try to cover it up. Now, from what I know of zombies, they don't attack each other. Attack humans, sure, but other infected? They mostly just ignore each other, even the special infected. Now, Alex may still be human on the inside, but on the outside he's a zombie and the other infected shouldn't attack him. This makes him a very useful scout and he can also grab supplies without fighting every single damn zombie that may be in this city. Now I'm asking you again, Alex," The Duchess continued, staring at me with her piercing eyes, "will you do this for me?"

Very slowly, I nodded, and Lily's grip on my arm tightened. There was a violent burst of mutters and half-voiced protests at the confirmation. The Duchess raised one eyebrow at all of the other survivors. "What's wrong?" She asked, and finally, one man stepped forward. "How can we trust this, this… **thing?**" he demanded, his voice rough and fierce. He was in his late 40's, judging by appearance, and his skin was weathered and scarred. He had a balding scalp, his once light brown hair streaked with silver gray. He also had a large, bushy beard, matted and crusted with dried blood and gore. "As you've said, that thing is a zombie and a Hunter to boot," he spat, sending an ominous glare in my direction, "those things are smarter than the rest of 'em. They know how to set up an ambush, how to run away and strike again, and how to work in packs. Hunters have given my more than my fair share of scars and cuts. That thing-" he jabbed a gnarled, scarred finger in my direction, "-may be tied up now, but if we release it, who's to say it won't go alert all of it's zombie buddies and get the drop on us. Hell, who's to say it won't attack us directly? If we know what's good for us, we'd keep that thing tied up, or better yet, just put the damn thing down."

A few other survivors echoed his sentiments. All of them had had experienced pain and suffering from the infected. But I wasn't to blame for all of that. I had not sent those zombies personally to attack them and their loved ones. The man stalked closer now, his expression furious, until we were nearly face-to-face. "I'm not afraid of you, **freak,**" he spat, looming over me, getting up in my face. I bared my fangs at him, sending a clear message: back off, **now.** What I didn't know was the intimidation factor. Unnoticed, my fangs had grown longer than those of a regular Hunter's. However, even faced against such weapons, the man didn't back down.

There was a flash of back, and suddenly my sister stormed forward, forcing the man backwards a few paces. Lily was the one in the man's face (although she only came up to his rib cage in reality). Violently shoving one finger into the man's gut, Lily started to rant. "Don't you **dare** talk about my brother like that! Alex is a 'he', not an 'it'! He's got feelings and emotions just like the rest of you! How do you think **he** feels about all of this?" Lily spoke, her voice rapid and unforgiving, and slowly, the large man gave way. He backed up slowly, and once she stopped for breath, grunted, "I still don't trust 'im," under his breath, quiet enough so Lily wouldn't hear, but I could hear him. Having a greater range of hearing was a useful perk at times.

"Enough! We have no time to be standing around arguing like a bunch of teenage girls at a slumber party!" The Duchess barked, and the murmuring and protests died away slowly. "We have weapons. To oblige the benefit of the doubt, what can **one** under-fed, weakened Hunter do against a party of **fifteen** armed people? Not that I doubt you, Alex, but indulge me here. Just go to the town and scout it out, and then return when you've inspected the whole place. Alright?" she asked, and I nodded again. "Lily, cut his bonds," The Duchess said, and my sister held out the long, sharp blade. I remained stock still as the bindings around my arms were cut off, and then started to rub feeling back into my wrists; the bindings had been a little tight, but not enough to cut off all circulation. Once that was done, I pulled the hood of my jacket down further, covering most of my face from the glaring sun. I crouched down, readying myself.

It made me feel so self-conscious, having everyone's eyes fixated on me as I readied myself. But when I took the first leap, all else faded away. I lacked the customary predator scream, my throat sore and hurting from the days before, but I still made a small bit of noise, no more than a whimper. It was instinctual, so deeply ingrained I had to consciously make an effort to keep from trying to scream. In a matter of seconds, I had cleared the grass field, and one well-timed leap had me on the roof of one of the buildings in Prattville.

It was quiet in the town, too quiet for my liking. The buildings were still in good shape, only the occasional broken window or trashed walls gave away any sign of violence had occurred here. The streets were littered with paper, plastic, and other mess, but suspiciously, no blood splatters or dead bodies. Had the citizens of Prattville been evacuated? The main streets were clogged with hundreds of parked cars; some sporting shattered glass and bloodstains. In a few streets I could spot some decaying corpses from where I was, perched up on streetlamps and billboards and bus stops. Remaining on the ground felt unsafe, unsure.

Up here, it felt like nothing could touch me. But still, there were no signs of any infected, no shambling corpses or moaning or the sounds of vomit splattering against walls or floor. On the outskirts of town, just a small distance away from the grass field, there was a dam and small river, apparently untouched and undamaged from what I could see a distance away. I marked it down for further note, and leapt to the next streetlamp, precariously perched on it, claws digging in for support. My balance was next to none, gracefully leaping from spot to spot, my instincts so in tune with my body the motions flowed seamlessly together. The burns on my body ached, but I was too busy enjoying the brief freedom I had from the drama and events that came with the survivor group. For the first time since I had succumbed to the infection, I was free, if only for a little while.

But something worried me. Prattville was a pretty large town, if the number of buildings and cars had any indication. But where was everyone? Had CEDA and the military successfully evacuated everyone alive? It was then I smelt something… mouth-watering. The scent of a delicious meal freshly made. Meat. I smelled meat. I swallowed a few times, trying to keep from outright drooling, and my stomach gave a loud protest. I hadn't eaten in such a long time; I was starving. Unconsciously my tongue licked the tips of my fangs, salivating. I turned towards the irresistible smell; it was closer now, I was on the right track! There were large steel warehouses nearby, and that was where the scent was coming from. Perched on the roof, it was overwhelming. I dropped down to the ground, casting furtive glances up and down the deserted streets, and slowly rolled back one of the giant steel shutter doors of one of the thirteen warehouses.

The delicious stench hit me full on, and I stumbled back, dropping to my knees. There must have been hundreds, perhaps even a thousand corpses piled into the warehouse, ungraciously slumped and piled on each other, every single one of them bloated and decaying. Blood was everywhere, dried and cracked on the walls, the ground, even the door, tacky and vile. A horror movie expert would have called the whole thing 'tacky and over-the-top', but it honestly looked like someone had been shoved into a blender. I leaned over, clutching my stomach, trying to ignore the hunger pains and vomiting yellow bile onto the ground, adding to the mess. The smell was so sweet, so tempting, like when my father cooked burgers and the smell wafted through an open window. Comparing those two scenes made me retch again, until I had nothing left to cough up. Weak in the knees, I staggered to my feet, forcing myself to examine the corpses. The horrific part was that while some were clearly infected, the majority of the bodies were _human._ Not infected, but all were riddled with wounds only bullets could make. Someone had rounded up everyone in Prattville, taken them to these warehouses, and shot them all dead. I had a clear assumption of what I would find in the other warehouses. I dragged the steel shutter back as quickly as I could, the door slamming shut with a loud CLANG. But my stomach wouldn't let me turn away; it was growling in full force, and I could feel the inner Hunter stirring inside the back of my head. I was starving, and there was a feast lay out before me that I was unwilling to eat.

The sound of feet ended the turmoil; I whipped around, expecting to face an infected or a survivor, only to be met with a feral dog. The thing was covered in drying blood as well; from the looks of it, the dog had been feeding off of the dead corpses in the warehouse. It snarled at me, and I returned the gesture, my hunger and instincts taking over. A brief scuffle as claws met fur and teeth met bone, and then I was spitting out fur as my hands set to work with ripping open the skin, revealing blood, bone, and meat. Delicious. Running on autopilot, my head swooped down into the open wound, tearing out the liver and chewing rapidly, forcing it down as fast as I could. Snuffling, hissing, and growling, I tore into the dead dog; eating everything I could until my belly was filled with the fresh, warm meat. Only when my hunger was satisfied and my stomach filled did I come back to my senses. The blood on my claws and hands and face. The gore stains on my lips and teeth and jacket. I backed away from the dead dog, who was staring at me with a growl fixed on it's dead face, it's black eyes looking up dully. Accusing me. Calling me out for what I really was. Terrified, I backed off, taking refuge on the roof of a nearby building. I was already soaked in gore from the zombie attack on the CEDA Base; hopefully no one would see the new additions. Wiping my face and hands off on the already stained dark blue hoodie, I took off as fast as possible back towards the grass field, unwilling to look behind my shoulder at the mass graves of Prattville.


	20. On with the New

**Author's Note: Well, I got inspired, so have some more Oath of Sacrifice. Reviews greatly encourage me to write more and update this more quickly, so don't be afraid to leave a review. I'd greatly appreciate it! Now on with your regularly scheduled zombie apocalypse!**

**~x~**

**On with the New**

Halfway back, I threw up the dog's meat into an alleyway trashcan. The whole mess felt too hot, too raw in my stomach, which was unaccustomed to so much 'good' food eaten in such a short amount of time. The process of leaping from perching on the roof to an escape staircase to a window ledge and so on upset my stuffed stomach, and with wobbly legs I leapt down onto street level and violently wretched the whole meal into the nearest trashcan.

Afterwards, I slumped back against the alleyway wall, shivering, still tasting the foul vomit in my mouth and the bile in my throat. Clad only in a blood-crusted zip-up hoodie and a pair of black boxers, I felt naked, exposed, and cold. There was a crisp breeze that had picked up a few minutes back, the wind whistling through the deserted city streets, blowing trash and dead leaves down the cement, murmuring among the leaves in the nearby tree-lined avenues like phantom, half-forgotten whispers of the former inhabitants. Deserted, the city was ominous and nearly silent, and it scared me. It reminded me of the solitude of my lab prison, of the impossible silence stretching on and on and on. But this was different, like I was treading on forsaken land, or someone's grave.

As much as I wanted to return to the comfort of my younger sister, the whole city had not been properly scouted out, and that was a danger to the survivors. The Duchess had made a risky power move in sending me out to check for infected, now that I examined the conversation from earlier, and it had planted seeds of doubt in the survivors. But what did I think of the Duchess? We had been introduced, yes, and she was a no-nonsense sort of person. If I showed signs of violence or zombie-like feelings, I had no doubt she would have me put down in a second. She would probably do herself, too.

Despite that, she appeared a natural leader, charismatic and practical, judging by the way she managed to attract Lily to follow her, and how everyone obeyed her orders, at least for now. But other than that, I had no idea what she was like, personality wise, or her history, or how she really met up with Lily. Of course, I was grateful she had. But now I was just taking up time thinking about possibilities and wondering what was going on, and there was work to be done. _Later, I'll think about it later, when I have time._

About 20 minutes of searching found me at the information booth at the main entrance to Prattville, where (hopefully) there would be some maps and perhaps a Sharpie to mark it down. The Duchess had asked me to take numbers, but from what I could see on the way there that there were only a few infected, traveling in ones and twos, wandering the city. The majority of the people were gone, evacuated or stacked up in the warehouses. I guess it meant that my group of survivors was lucky, in a morbid sort of way.

Luckily, there were plenty of maps of the city provided at the small booth, which was on the sidewalk right after the sign that read 'Welcome to Prattville'. Usually, underneath the name of the city there would be a population count, only someone had crossed it out with red spray paint and instead wrote 'TERMINATED BY MILITARY' underneath the mark in capital letters. Underneath that, another person had sprayed 'GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN' in bold black spray paint. Apparently, some people had managed to survive the so-called military purge and had sprayed the warnings. Briefly, I wondered what had happened to the spray painters, but then turned back to the task at hand. It wasn't worth thinking about it.

Most of the map was unreadable. Try as I might to squint, I couldn't make out most of the small text on the map. Thankfully, the giant red dot along with the bold words 'YOU ARE HERE' was discernable, which marked where I was. Armed with a red sharpie found in the booth and with the map, I set off again, marking places where I could spot infected with red 'X's. The warehouses, I blotted out entirely with red sharpie. I honestly didn't want any of the survivors to go there, and see the dog corpse, and then the massive mountain of bodies and lakes of dried blood and gore. _No one deserves to see that, ever._

The whole process took longer than I imagined; Prattville was larger than I thought, despite the initial traversal across the city. There were quite a few infected, about 200 or so, despite the city's deserted appearance, but they were scattered in small groups and individuals, harmless. There were also a few gun stores, sketched over with crude symbols of guns and bullets, and some grocery stores and pharmacies

that might have something useful. All in all, the tourist map was covered in red sharpie by the time I was done, and my whole body felt sore. I was unused to this much exercise in a day, after being restrained and kept in small rooms for so long. My eyes were aching from the light exposure (my hood didn't block out all of the light, so I still got some in my eyes from time to time), and my hands shook from gripping tightly onto hard surfaces.

When I arrived back at the field, the survivors had organized themselves into tight groups, looking wary and some afraid. About eleven guns were raised in my direction as I approached, but a hand motion from the Duchess halted the survivors holding them. I landed a few yards away, just to be safe, and stood up, pulling the map out from where it had been stowed in my hoodie for safekeeping. I handed her the map, and she glanced over it with a frown.

"According to this, there's roughly… 200 infected, right?" She asked, and I nodded quickly, wanting to get this over with. Everyone was staring at us, and I felt uncomfortable, dressed only in a ratty hoodie and boxers.

"That can't be right. Prattville has a population in the thousands, even tens of thousands," A survivor stepped forward, a frown appearing on her face, "are you sure this is accurate?"

I nodded again, and this time, the male survivor from earlier snorted aggressively and stepped forward. "Leave it to the **thing** to lie blatantly to our faces. You honestly thought you could deceive us?" he barked, taking another step in my direction. I shook my head, but did not retreat. The man was like an over-aggressive dog. Backing down would show I was afraid of him (which I was, of course), and so I stood my ground.

"Alex, why are these warehouses blotted out? Is there something in them?" The Duchess asked her eyes fixed on the large map of Prattville. I hesitated, recalling the horrific image of the bodies. I was unsure how to communicate what was in the warehouses. I nodded, and took the sharpie from her. My hands shaky, I drew a bad skull on the map and then drew an arrow towards all the warehouses.

"There's something dead in there?" The Duchess questioned, and I nodded morosely.

"What's dead in there?" She asked, and I nearly sighed in frustration. It was terrible to be asked a question you couldn't reply to with 'yes' or 'no'. Losing my voice was more of a barrier than I thought. Lacking another answer, I pointed towards her, towards Lily, towards everyone but myself.

"Why is he pointing at us?" One of the survivors asked, but Duchess lifted a hand to quiet the person.

"Survivors? Do you mean there are dead survivors in there?" Lily questioned, and it was close enough. I nodded, pointing at her, and then pointing towards the guns.

"Guns? Dead Survivors?" Lily guessed again, and I shook my head. There was a military training field in Prattville, so I took the red sharpie and underlined the word. Then, I made the universal sign of the gun, using the thumb and first finger, and pointed it towards Lily. And then I 'fired'.

"Are you saying that the military shot survivors in these warehouses?" The Duchess questioned, and I nodded rapidly, my eyes solemn. There were cries of surprise and anger from among the survivors. They had been saved by the military, at least most of them, taken in at CEDA Base #666. How could the military do this? How could they trust the military now that such a deed had been performed?

"Did the people show signs of being infected?" The Duchess asked, and I shook my head. Her questions only stirred the survivors up more. Small mutterings and arguments broke out, and people were glaring openly at the helicopter guards, standing apart from the others, still wearing their gas masks and tanks.

"Alright, folks, we're going to follow our plan. Hole up at the cotton mill and dam for a day or two, gather supplies, and then set out. There is another CEDA base, along one of the interstate highway, and the best bet we have right now for surviving this goddamn apocalypse. Helicopter radio is broken, so we have no way of contacting this base. However, the guards have memorized the route, and so we'll slip by Montgomery, and head towards the National Park nearby. Once there, it'll be a pinch to locate the base and hole up. We clear?" The Duchess barked out, and once again there were murmured general assent from the crowd, and some survivors nodded in agreement.

"Let's not sit here waiting for the zombies to interrupt this fine picnic, move out!"

* * *

The cotton mill was deserted and empty, but the water was still flowing over the dam, a rickety wooden bridge expanding across the dam itself. The whole cotton mill was shut up and boarded up, with a sign that said 'Coming soon' and showed a dusty poster of the planned apartments. All around the whole mill there were signs of abandoned construction: welding tools, hammers, saw horses, helmets, vests, even a few larger machines were lying dormant on the other side of the dam. The survivors went four by four, with the Duchess bringing up the back. I was in front, along with Lily, and we led the way hesitantly. In my hands I clutched a crowbar with a wicked coil, taken from a survivor who had escaped with two melee weapons. I clutched it now, the weight of the metal heavy in my hands. I hadn't fought an infected in so long, not since escaping towards the CEDA base.

When everyone had shuffled across the wooden bridge, it was easy to find the entrance and gain access to the former cotton mill. Sawdust was everywhere, a result from the new wooden structures inside. Rather than tearing down the whole mill, it appeared the workers were remodeling from the inside out, installing new facilities and plumbing before ripping down the walls and laying new foundations. Thankfully, the place was deserted, and the Duchess declared the place safe after everyone had scoured every nook and cranny. No one was willing to venture onto the second floor, and the staircase had half-collapsed anyway.

After securing the perimeter, the group was delighted to discover that the facilities were working, namely, the bathroom and showers that had already been installed. In a rare display of courtesy, the men let the women go first, instead preferring to wait in a different room, walling themselves off with a spare tarp.

By now, the sun was setting, and everyone was settling in after an exhausting day. The Duchess set up a watch schedule, based upon the fact that one of them still had a working watch (solar powered). I picked out a place after briefly washing my legs, arms, and face (I had no other clothes to change into so I couldn't take a shower). The floor was wood and concrete but no one complained, instead spreading jackets, shirts, and other materials over the hard surfaces to try and get comfortable. I sat in the corner, a short distance away from everyone else, feeling uncomfortable and awkward. I hadn't been listed on the watch, since lacking a voice besides the Hunter's range of growls and shrieks (which would be interpreted as an attack anyway and would upset people), I couldn't yell or alert the others. Plus, none of the survivors trusted me, exceptions being the Duchess and Lily.

Both of them were dead asleep, like seasoned soldiers on campaign who knew better then to stay up. Lily lay next to me, using my ratty jacket as a pillow (I wouldn't let her refuse, and I had washed most of the blood out). It was a bit chilly inside the cotton mill, even with the tarps, and I shivered, now clad in only my boxers now, my scars now available for everyone to see. I rubbed at them, wincing. They were still tender and red from the burning scalpel, and from the activity I had put all my limbs through afterward. There hadn't been enough time to let the wounds heal properly, except for the one on my face.

I brought up a clawed hand to touch the scar and flinched. My claws were longer, longer than I remembered, and sharper as well. When had they grown so much? But then again, I thought back to when my fangs had been filed down, and those had grown back extraordinarily fast. Perhaps the same occurred with my claws? Looking down at my feet, I spotted how long the claws were as well. If this kept up, it would be awkward trying to touch anything or pick anything up. Were my teeth longer? I had no mirror, but I would check as soon as possible, because it could be a problem in the future.

_Speaking of problems…_

The aggressive male survivor was approaching me now, a dark glint in his eye, followed by a half-dozen of his fellow survivors, armed with a thick coil of rope. Stepping over the slumbering form of my sister, they surrounded me, and the big male unwound the rope, eyeing me with vicious satisfaction.

"Don't struggle, and we won't make a fuss," he hissed, circling around to the metal pole I leaned against.

"If we're going to be stuck with a freak, might as well make it so it can't escape in the dead of night to alert its infected friends…" The man muttered, and he started to bind my wrists behind my back. I leaned forward, allowing him to do so. Showing resistance would only arouse suspicion and doubt from the already dubious survivors, and I had no desire to be driven out or shot, as the latter option was most likely. The Duchess only had a tentative control over the survivors, and she wouldn't be able to do anything if some of them decided to put a bullet through my skull. Still, as the man leaned over me, breathing down my neck as he secured my wrists, I couldn't help but shiver. I was honestly scared of all of them. I'd suffered enough abuse at the hands of humanity already.

Surrounded like this, my instincts screamed at me to attack any of the men around me, to escape the trap. But I forced the feelings down with sheer willpower, my heart hammering in my chest as the fear sent adrenaline running through my system. The male looped the rope around my ankles now, lashing them together, and then around my waist twice before securing the remaining ends of the rope to the pole, before knotting it expertly. It was uncomfortable, but bearable, if not for the bursts of panic I kept experiencing. Bad flashbacks to being tied down while my fangs were filed down. Being tied up while the Scientist branded my skin. Chained in a cage, for the world to scorn and hate. I couldn't help it; I was trembling like a leaf in autumn. I shrank back against the pole as one of the men stomped closer, a gun in his hand. The muzzle of the gun was placed under my chin, and the man forced my chin up with it. I stared back into his pitiless, blue eyes, my scared yellow eyes reflected in his. I looked pitiful, trembling in front of them, numb, willing all of them to just go away.

"I could kill you right here and now, freak. You understand me? One little movement, and no one will miss you when you're gone. You make one wrong move, step out of place, and I'll put a bullet in your fucking face with a smile," The man grinned, and casually smacked me across the face with the gun, leaving a bruise on the unscarred part of my face. "Understand?" he snarled, and I nodded quickly, shutting my eyes. I didn't want to look at any of them now, with their pitiless, worn faces that would take pleasure in my death and suffering. Footsteps indicated that they were walking away, and I slumped forward into my bonds, suddenly exhausted. Despite the awkward positioning of the bonds, I fell asleep quickly.

* * *

The morning light filtered in unevenly, blocked by the walls and the tarp set up. Around me, mostly everyone was still sleeping, taking advantage of this brief respite to conserve his or her energy for the day ahead. I woke with a cramp in my neck, caused by being tied upright to a pole for the entire night, and wiggled around a bit, trying to stretch out my muscles and failing. The Duchess was already awake, pouring over the map I gave her, muttering to herself and using a pen to scribble down something on the paper. Lily was still dead asleep, curled around my jacket-turned-pillow, her back to me. There were a few others awake, but they just sat there or conversed quietly amongst themselves, lacking anything to do. We had no breakfast or any sort of supplies besides our weapons and the clothes we wore. The attack on the CEDA had come too quickly for anyone to grab a backpack or bag.

But within the hour, everyone was awake, motivated by growling stomachs and empty hands. Lily of course was horrified when she found out I had been tied to a pole for the night, and untied me immediately. She seemed surprised that someone would do that to me, but I knew better. It was to be expected, of course, and the big male survivor was smirking as he collected the rope from Lily, watching me shrink away from him as he approached. It was just more abuse I had to put up with. I reclaimed my jacket gratefully, but it provided little comfort as everyone stood up and readied him or herself for the day. It would be a citywide looting and scavenging for supplies, seeing how the group had none. I wasn't assigned to a group, seeing how no one wanted me and the Duchess said I could move around quicker than any human (humans couldn't leap from building to building like I could, not even parkour runners), it would be a waste to have me on the ground. I would roam the city and grab my own supplies, and extra for others if I could carry any, but first we all needed some form of backpack to carry everything with. We marched across the bridge in the pre-dawn light, and raided a nearby camping store. I was saddled with a hiking backpack, the largest the store had. I was stronger than humans, so I could carry more. While the others went for food and weapons, I would be looking for medicine or medical supplies.

Outside of the store, with its broken windows and flooded parking lot, everyone gathered, carrying backpacks and bags. I stood holding hands with Lily, my hood up to block the first rays of the sun, a short distance away from the cluster of survivors around the Duchess. We had already split into groups, ready to go.

"Stay safe, Alex," Lily muttered, throwing her arms around me in a crushing hug. I returned it, patting her back softly and nodding. I squinted as sunlight got into my face, my eyes watering painfully. Of course, my sister noticed. She always noticed these things.

"Here, take these," She said, and from her pocket pulled out a pair of welding goggles, most likely taken from the construction site around the cotton mill. Lily grinned at me. "You're always blinking and shading your eyes, right?" she asked, and I nodded, surprised. How had she noticed?

"Go on, put them on," She said eagerly, and I followed her directions, slipping the black welding goggles over my head. The band wasn't too tight, nor was it too loose, and I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the dark film over them. The sunlight didn't hurt as much, but I would still need the hood to be completely pain free.

"How are they?" Lily asked, and I gave her a long-fanged grin, and hugged her again, a warm feeling flooding the pit of my stomach, erasing the sour events of last night and this morning. I wished I could have thanked her, but my sister, the wonderful person she was, already understood the message. However, before we could do anything else, the Duchess called Lily's name and beckoned her away.

"I'll see you at the mill at sundown, okay?" she whispered, smiling, and I grinned back at her as she dashed away towards the older woman. Turning away, I crouched and made the easy jump from the ground to the fifty-foot high roof of the camping store, watched intently by all the survivors below. Looking back, I saw Lily wave at me before the next leap took me to the building across the street. The hiking pack's straps and plastic shifted awkwardly on my back, and for a moment I thought the whole thing was going to lean to one side and ruin my balance. Huffing, I adjusted quickly mid-leap and settled back into the routine. My claws proved useful when landing, easily digging into a window ledge, lamppost, or rooftop. I traveled from an office building down about a story to the next building's window, and from there to a roof of a pharmacy.

Gracefully I dropped onto the hood of a car, careful not to set off any alarms in the flashing cars. The Duchess would kill me if I attracted a horde, along with the other survivors. The Rite-Aid in front of me was dark inside, the storefront mostly intact except for a bunch of broken windows, one of which I slipped through. Inside, I lifted up the welding goggles, no longer needed inside the dim room. My eyesight adjusted quickly, and I took in the store. It had been emptied of everything in the medical and pharmacy sections, along with about three-quarters of everything else. There was a refrigerated isle in the back of the store that still had some water bottles, and there were reusable ones in front, so I hastened to empty the plastic bottles into the metal ones and shove them into the pack. Water was important, especially with reusable bottles that could be carried via a strap around the shoulder. All I could find in terms of medical supplies were a few bottles of painkillers, a couple of bandages, and some disinfectant alcohol. There were also a few packaged snacks left, one of which I snagged for Lily, along with a small travel kit of a razor, some tiny soap, and a hairbrush. I also pocketed a tiny Swiss Army Knife, which might come in handy. Exiting the Rite-Aid, pulling on my goggles, I was about to continue on my journey when I noticed the clothing store across the street. I was awkwardly dressed in boxers and a hoodie that was filthy and ragged…

I quickly crawled over to the store on all fours, keeping low to avoid attracting attention, obeying my instincts. The door to the store wasn't locked, and I flinched when opening it caused a small bell to tickle. In the silent city, it echoed like a gunshot. Holding the small bell, I shut the door carefully, looking around at the clothing, eager to get new clothes.

For the most part, I was clean, having scrubbed everything last night, and I wasn't about to get cleaner anytime soon. I shrugged the backpack off, and lifted the goggles off of my eyes again as I shrugged off the filthy hoodie. It was placed, folded up, on the counter where the cashier was kept. Despite having a big selection in the semi-large store, I picked everything out quickly. A dark green zip-up hoodie, just my size (a bit larger, by just a tad) and with pockets replaced my duct-tape ridden old one, and I picked out a clean pair of boxers as well, though still black. As for pants, I decided on a pair of light gray cargo shorts, with plenty of pockets but enough legroom and flexibility that I could still jump around without tearing the fabric. However, I did not pick out a pair of shoes, because I no longer needed them. The soles of my feet were tougher now, calloused and could easily traverse on rough ground. Feeling secure and better dressed, I slipped back on the goggle and pulled the new jacket's hood up over my face, securing it tightly. _Perfect. _I exited the store, and went back to traversing the city, now thankfully properly clothed.

* * *

However, my frantic looting of every pharmacy I could find had barely yielded any results. Most of the stores were raided already, and then looted after the inhabitants of the town were gone, leaving me with basically nothing. I found the hospital of the city, only to see that it had been burned down, an ugly black skeleton remaining as a landmark. There would be nothing in there to scavenge, because everything had been burned to a crisp, and I wasn't going to risk collapsing the building by poking around the remaining structure. I did however manage to find a few more painkillers, bandages, and disinfectant, along with an outdoor medical wilderness kit and a few other things. I also found flashlights, some light sleeping mats that could be tied underneath a backpack, some headlamps, and a water filter. All these were weighing down my hiking backpack, but not by a lot. By the end of the day I was exhausted and slightly starving. My new stomach couldn't handle most of the processed foods, instead preferring straight up meat. Chewing jerky and raw bacon helped, which I put inside the pack as well. Once, I might have gagged on the thought of eating raw food, but that was before I lost my humanity. In addition, I had dog food, which I had tried out of desperation in the morning and found I could stomach it. But I didn't look too closely at it, not after the incident with the dog's corpse. Thinking of that made me feel sick and rile up my inner Hunter to scream for me to hunt down the prey, to give in, to finally kill and enjoy the vicious animalistic pleasure of the hunt, of ripping apart scared prey with my claws and making them watch as I ate their innards in front of their eyes. It kept bringing up the male survivor who had lashed me to the pole, shrieking at me, prodding me mentally. The inner Hunter was hard to ignore on an empty stomach, or at any other time. Only practice and force of will kept it at bay, silencing it, and the effort was draining.

The sun was finally sinking below the horizon when I returned to the bridge, my backpack full of items. Others had just arrived back when I did, and we eyed each other as I crossed the bridge to the cotton mill. The Duchess was there, and she nodded to me as I eased off the backpack and unloaded the supplies that were meant for the group.

She didn't question my little traveler's kit, nor the pounds and pounds of raw bacon, dog food, and other products I had put in there. She knew I needed to eat, and merely raised an eyebrow at the food. After I unloaded everything I had found, she cleared her throat and clapped me on the back.

"Good work, Alex. Take a blanket from one in the corner and start settling down; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Might want to take a proper shower now that you have some proper clothes," The Duchess said, and she sniffed loudly to emphasize her point. I ducked my head in embarrassment, and then decided to follow her instructions. I dumped my hiking pack and the blanket I had picked out on my sleeping space, next to Lily's things, and then headed for the shower. With the power working because of the dam, I turned the hot water on. It felt wonderful, after I hadn't taken a shower in what felt like forever. Days and days and days of sweat, grime, and dried blood were washed away quickly and gently, thought the hot water did make my scars sting a bit. After I was done, I quickly dressed again, staring at the mirror that was hastily propped up in the pseudo-bathroom. My hair was a large mass of tangles and knots, and my eyes had dark circles underneath them, accented by my sickly yellow-gray skin. I curled back my lip, revealing my mouth full of fangs. Yes, those had grown longer as well. Hopefully I could find a way to wear them down without resorting to a nail file. I shuddered at the memory. _Best not to think about it now. She's dead, and you're free._ I turned away from the mirror.

Lily was waiting for me when I returned to my sleeping space, eagerly bouncing up and down on her blanket, which she had spread out on the ground for comfort. Her backpack was being used as her pillow, a wise choice.

"Hey Alex!" she greeted me cheerily when she saw me, her eyes brightening with happiness and relief that I was safe. I plopped down next to her, a small smile appearing on my face, self-conscious of my fangs. I basked in her presence, her warmth radiating from her. It felt so nice, to be sitting with someone who was glad to see me instead of hostile or cautious (in the case of the Duchess). It was almost like the hot shower; it was something I hadn't had for a long time, and just as soothing.

"So, did my present help?" Lily asked eagerly, and I nodded. During the day, her present had been a huge relief to my over-sensitive eyes, and I was amazed that she had come up with the idea. I would have never thought of it.

"That's great! I'm glad I could help, ya know?" She smiled, and I shyly smiled back, nodding.

Remembering my presents, I pulled my large hiking backpack over and rummaged around inside, pulling out the snacks and the small travel kit, along with the Swiss Army Knife. These I presented to her one by one, careful to avoid scraping her with my claws as I handed them over.

"Oh Alex, you didn't have to…" Lily murmured, her eyes wide with delight. The snacks had been her favorite pre-infection, and I had seen her fussing over her hair when I had walked in earlier.

I clasped both of her hands in mine, and managed the best smile I could at the moment, nodding at the gifts. The other survivors had also taken their own food, and many were eating right now, just before the lights out would be called. Quickly, my sister hugged me tightly again in her famous rib-crushing hug before opening the first bag of snacks. "Want one?" She offered, holding out the bag and shaking it temptingly.

However, my stomach couldn't handle that kind of processed food, so I gently shook my head and pulled out one of the packs of raw bacon, tearing it open with a claw and pulling out the first strip. Lily frowned at me, her eyes questioning, but I merely shrugged. It was something I couldn't help about my body's demands.

I watched as my sister went through my food supplies, grimacing as the dog food and looking a bit despondent at the amount of jerky and packaged meat inside there.

Feeling awkward, I reached inside and pulled out a bag of beef jerky, which I offered out. It was the best I could do, under the circumstances, and Lily accepted quickly. She ate her snacks quickly and started on the jerky while I chewed on the raw strips of bacon, quelling my stomach's grumbling.

"Alex, I'm going to give your hair a proper brushing," Lily remarked, as she watched me brush my tangled hair out of my eyes for the fifteenth time. And with that, she pulled out her Swiss Army Knife's scissors and the travel kit's hairbrush. I let her do it, still chewing on the bacon.

"Sit still now. This make take a little bit," she ordered, and I did as she asked. It was a bit painful at first, as she yanked on my hair to pull out the snares and tangles, and she trimmed the areas where it was too messy to try and fix. Nevertheless, it was comforting, hearing my sister hum to herself as she fought with my unruly hair. And, as I closed my eyes, almost… peaceful. Even as everyone went to bed and I was tied to the pole again, I could still hear the melody playing over in my mind, lulling me to sleep.


	21. Montgomery Ahead

**Author's Note:**

**AWWW YE. NEW CHAPTER C:**

**ENJOY!**

**~x~**

**Montgomery Ahead**

_I was dreaming. Rain flooded down from the overcast grey skies, soaking me to the bone despite my new jacket. I shivered in the cold, finding myself in the middle of a Prattville street. Where was everyone else? I called out before I could stop myself, but all that came out was a harsh shriek. I clapped both my hands over my mouth, but I had already made too much noise. There were people coming down the street, and they didn't smell like the group of survivors I was with, or Lily, or the Duchess. _

_They stank of bullets, and hot metal, of blood and smoke and other things I didn't want to know about. And I could hear them, talking in code and using a radio. Soldiers! Only the military still had good enough equipment to communicate with radios and have so many guns. I could see them now, just down the street, dressed in wet camouflage, armed with rifles and other weapons._

_Bullets clanged on the car next to me, and I froze for a moment, frightened. And then instinct kicked in, and I ducked behind a car, running as fast as I could with the large backpack bouncing against my back. I ducked and weaved between cars, hearing the sound of gunfire behind me and saw the bullets flying past me, hitting cars, windows, the pavement. One bullet passed so close to my face I could feel the little bit of the heat radiating from it, and it took some of my hair with it as well._

_The soldiers were calling out now, halting their fire, and asking me to stop running. They had mistaken me for an infected, or so they said. I turned to face them, wary, raindrops pattering down on my welding goggles. One of them took his hands off of his gun and shouldered the weapon, showing him to be unharmed and not a threat. Still, I was wary. The rest still had their weapons out, although not pointed at me, and I was nervous. It was my first encounter with humans besides the survivor group, and I was scared. Terrified, to be honest._

"_Sir, please remove the goggles and keep your hands in the air. We will escort you to an enormous military encampment, where you will be processed-" The man didn't finish his sentence, because I was already hopping onto the roof of a nearby car. I lifted the goggles, my yellow eyes glowing with a lightning flash in the distance. _

"_Monster! Everyone, FIRE! FIRE!" The man shouted, and the others lifted their guns, bullets already spewing. I crouched and leapt up to the roof of a nearby building, certain I could get away…._

_Something smacked me in the back, and I felt something warm trickle down my back. And then the pain kicked in, knocking me off balance. I was falling, falling, and yet more bullets were hitting me, tearing through my backpack, my skin, and my spine… All was going dark… And as I hit the ground, something dark and hoarse hissed in my ear:_

_**You may fight me, restrain me, hurt me, but you'll never get rid of me, Alex. I'm always here. Once a monster, always a monster…**_

My eyes shot open as the thunder echoed through the cotton mill, accompanying the flash of lightning. I was covered with cold sweat, and the blanket and ropes soaked through. I was breathing harshly, still recovering from the nightmare. That voice… why did it fill me with such a sense of dread? But it had sounded like the inner Hunter, only this time filled with malign intelligence and a cold tone that had never been present before. Now that I thought of it, I hadn't been hearing the inner Hunter raging inside the back of my mind… it had gone silent recently. I had thought that had been a good thing, but now…

"Oh, Alex? Are you awake too?" whispered Lily, whom I had not even noticed was awake next to me, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling. I nodded, shifting uncomfortably in the rope bindings, adjusting the sweat-soaked blanket. Lily crawled over to me, still wrapped in her blanket as best as she could manage, and carefully untied me. I smiled at her gratefully, and then stretched out a little, draping the blanket over my shoulders and wrapping it around me, creating a small bubble of warmth from my trapped body heat. Rain was pounding on the roof of the abandoned cotton mill, and in a few places rainwater dripped through the boards above and onto the floor. This happened near the bathroom, and I could see that some people had placed buckets under the trickles, and some of the beds had been moved to dryer places. Another flash of lightning, and another boom of thunder echoed through the cotton mill. The thunder was getting louder and louder, a bane to my sensitive ears.

Lily crawled closer, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close, wrapping the blanket around both of us. Lily was trembling slightly, and I knew that she was afraid of the weather. She had always been afraid of storms in the past, ever since a camping trip gone wrong when she had been five years old. I remember hearing her footsteps heading to my parents' room whenever there was a storm, and her hand clinging to my arm when we had to fly on a plane during a storm. Even now, her hand slipped into mine, and I squeezed it comfortingly as a loud boom of thunder echoed above us, following a large flash of lightning. We sat there in silence for a long while, as mostly everyone slept on around us, and watched, as the light grew slightly brighter as dawn approached.

However, most of the other survivors awoke just after the sun rose. The storm hadn't let up, and there was still thunder and lightning, but the light outside had lightened slightly. There was a strong wind blowing outside, stirring up dust and dead leaves while the heavy rain soaked through everything. The Duchess had woken up at last, and she was talking softly with some of the other survivors. Everyone else was already lining up for the bathroom, ready to splash warm water on his or her faces and prepare for the day ahead. Lily had fallen asleep again half an hour ago, her head against my shoulder, and I gently shook her awake, motioning towards the Duchess and the bathroom as she groaned and sleepily opened her eyes. She muttered a quiet 'thanks' before yawning loudly and stretching as she stood up, and then joined the line of people waiting for the bathroom. I decided to stretch as well, folding my blanket after I stood up and worked the kinks from my back and arms. Once the blanket was folded neatly, I slipped it into my backpack. I ran a hand through my hair, again surprised and delighted at how soft it was when it wasn't knotted and tangled. Lily had done a great job with such limited resources, and I was glad my hair was in some semblance of order. I don't know how to explain, exactly, but it made me feel… more human. Less like a savage creature and more like a human being. Silly, I know, but still.

I waited until Lily was near the bathroom and out of sight before I pulled out my breakfast from the backpack. It was packaged raw boneless chicken breast, with three of them per pack. I sliced open the plastic package with one claw, and drew out the first raw piece of meat. I didn't want Lily to see this, my feeding method. My body was now adapted to eat meat of any kind, especially the raw kind, adapted to feed off of other living creatures. I could digest raw meat without repercussions or fear of disease. With the virus inhabiting every cell of my body, I doubt I could get food poisoning or some other sort of disease. But that was beside the matter.

I took a large bite of the raw chicken, relishing the taste of the meat on my tongue. My stomach growled angrily as I took my time chewing the meat, demanding more food, more energy to fuel my body. I devoured all three raw pieces of meat within a record time, and savored the taste afterwards, licking my hand clean before disposing of the plastic package. And then I stood up, heading towards the dwindling bathroom line to wash my face and hands. I passed Lily on the way back, nodding to her as she passed.

Once it was my turn in the bathroom, I splashed water over my face and hands, washing the smell of raw meat off of me. Well, someone could still smell it on my breath, but hopefully I could avoid breathing on someone (definitely not Lily!). Once that was done, and I felt a bit more awake, I cleared the bathroom for the next person in line and went back to my sleeping place, plopping down next to Lily and shrugging on my green jacket. I knew I had forgotten something earlier, and when it hit me I wanted to smack my head against a wall in exasperation.

When getting more clothes earlier, I had forgotten to get a shirt as well. I had gone so long with just a hoodie and boxers I had completely failed to remember to snatch up a shirt. I sighed morosely. All I had was a jacket, boxers, and shorts to stand against the freezing cold weather. I made a mental note to get a longer pair of pants for colder weather, and possibly some boots. Infected though I was, even that would not protect my body against the dangers of cold weather. When winter came by, such clothing as mine could cause me to loose some fingers and toes, perhaps even an ear or a larger limb. My backpack was pretty empty; such clothing would not be a burden in terms of carrying weight. I was stronger than humans, anyhow.

Finally, the Duchess addressed the entire group about the plan for today. "Alright folks," she began, "this is the plan. We'll do one last hour sweep through Prattville before heading down highway 6. This is the fastest route to interstate highway 65, which will lead us past Montgomery before taking us to highway 191, and then using a few more highways to lead us to Talladega National Forest, which is the location of a CEDA base. CEDA has built a giant blockade around a large portion of the forest, which I learned from some of the scientists here, and that they take great pains to remain as quiet as possible and not to attract the attention of the infected, for the most part. Indeed, a lot of the facility is built underground and into large hillsides, allowing room for growing their own food and purifying their own water. They have no other survivors staying there, so we should be fine in terms of space and resources, but make no mistake. We're going to have to work for our keep, whether it is working with the plants or patrolling or whatever they ask you to do. I know a lot of the boys and girls serving there, and they are a decent bunch, ya hear me? Does everyone understand the plan? Any questions?"

Most people nodded assent, but a few raised their hands. The Duchess pointed to one of them, nodding her head to allow them to speak.

"You said we'd be passing by Montgomery, right?" The woman asked hesitantly, and the Duchess nodded before she continued, "Military reports say that Montgomery was overrun, and it's a very large city in Alabama. Doesn't that mean we'll run into hundreds, no, thousands of infected? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

Others voiced the same worry, fear briefly reflecting on their faces. The Duchess nodded.

"Yes, I know we'll be passing close to the city, but we don't have much choice here. Most of the other roads were bombed by the military, according to radio reports, or completely closed off and overrun with infected. Montgomery is really our only shot for getting to the Talladega National Forest as quickly as possible. Despite our scavenging so far, we don't have much food, water, or energy to take any other route. Any more suggestions for how we get there?" The Duchess asked, and everyone else was silent. There were no more questions after that, and finally, everyone just packed up their bags and set out. We were going to do one more sweep of the town, hitting the remaining grocery and supply stores, and then we were going to leave Prattville, exiting via highway 6.

I was allowed to go ahead of everyone, on the condition that I would meet everyone at the entrance to highway 6 within an hour. It was only after I leapt away from the group and across the bridge that I realized that I had no way of telling time. Whoops. As I leaped from rooftop to fire escape, up the side of a building, and onto another rooftop, I just hoped that I would complete my objectives fast enough to catch up with the group.

Finding another clothing store wasn't that hard, and I quickly found some boots my size. However, I would have to cut the claws on my feet in order for them to fit, but I think Lily would be able to help me with that. I also managed to procure a grey short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of fingerless gloves. I quickly changed into the t-shirt, and placed the fingerless gloves inside my backpack along with the boots and a pair of socks. Once I stowed that away, I exited the store and quickly located another grocery store. Most of the meat was useless to humans, especially the ones who had already raided the store. They had been after the canned food and other necessities, not after the meat that would spoil very, very soon. However, it was no problem for me, and I could easily see there was still quite a bit of packaged and refrigerated meat. In addition, there was still a bit of dog food left, and it would be easier to carry. Packaged or not, meat would still smell rancid if I didn't eat it very soon. I was hesitant about eating food meant for dogs, but then again my palate had changed so much I wasn't very picky anymore. I piled a bunch of cans into my backpack, along with some boned chicken (maybe chewing bones would help wear down my teeth?), some more bacon, and some pounds of beef. Even with all that, the backpack still felt lighter to me, and about halfway full.

Once that was done, I exited the store, careful to avoid the two infected I found in there, moaning and staggering around. They reacted initially at the sound of my footsteps, but after a moment lost interest again and turned away, growling and moaning and vomiting all over the place. I watched them for a few moments, hesitant, unsure what to do. They had recognized me as infected, so that meant they wouldn't attack, but I was still scared. Although the infection had hit only a short while ago, in terms of world time, but it had felt a lifetime ago, running from ravenous infected that would attack me as soon as look at me. And now they ignored me, like I was a part of the ruined grocery store. The feeling was… odd, and slightly disturbing.

I exited the grocery store quickly, after scouting around the near-empty isles for any sort of supplies I could take for Lily. I found three cans of soda: Diet 7-UP, one of my favorite sodas from before the infection. This would be useful: sodas contained calories and energy, and a body needed such energy to function. The soda had been knocked from the refrigerator (no longer functioning, with no power in the store) and underneath the shelves, which is why they had been missed. There was also a box of Pop-Tarts, and a can of cold chili. All in all, a pretty good haul.

But now I felt that time was running short, since I spent a bit of time crawling around the grocery store, searching under the stands and shelves, looking for items others had missed. That was how I found most of the food and drink, with the exception of a few things still stuck on the shelves. Lily loved Pop-Tarts, one of her favorite junk foods since our mother had allowed her to eat sweets. They were still wrapped in their foil packaging, and they hadn't reached the expiration date on the back of the box.

I exited the store quickly, dashing out of the open doors and quickly jumping to the nearest building, clawing myself onto the window ledge as I got my bearings. From the signs below, thankfully printed in large, helpful letters, I knew I was going in the right direction of the freeway. From that, all I had to do was keep sticking to the signs, traversing above the streets and above the abandoned cars and occasional infected.

I couldn't estimate how long it took, but eventually I saw the freeway ramp leading up to highway 6. The whole ramp and the highway itself were choked with cars, but no signs of infected that I could see. However, as I got closer, I could see cars down the highway were littered with bullets, but more than my survivor group ever had. Slumped over one or two of the cars were corpses dressed in army camouflage, and there were dozens and dozens of bodies on the ground between the cars, all stone cold dead. The military had been through here as well, though a short time after they had slaughtered the citizens of Prattville.

I landed on the roof of a car, perched there while I scouted the surrounding area for my survivors, while staying completely in view the entire time. I knew some of the survivors were trigger-happy, and even with my green jacket I still could pass for one of the infected if I popped out suddenly. Having no desire to be gunned down, I sat cross-legged on the roof of the car. I could still the phantom pain of bullets connecting with my back, from that terrible nightmare…

I shuddered at the memory, and at the cold voice that spoke to me at the end of the dream, when I had been dying at the hands of military. The inner Hunter had terrorized me before… but that dream had been something it had never done before, and before it could only speak in half-words and phrases. Was the inner Hunter that cold voice? If so, I was worried… closing my eyes as rain fell down around me, I looked inside my mind. Sure enough, the inner Hunter was there, but it was silent, no longer ranting and raving in the depths of my mind. I didn't know what to think of it, but I wasn't about to initiate conversation with the inner Hunter. It seemed like a terrible idea.

Footsteps drew my attention away, and I wiped away the rain from my goggles as my survivor group appeared around the corner of a group of buildings, their backs bulging, weighed down by their various supplies. Lily spotted me first, and she dashed over quickly, her smile eminent even from a distance. She arrived next to the car I was sitting on, and I quickly slid down, standing next to her with a smile echoing her own. The others arrived quickly, and the Duchess quickly muttered a plan. Four people would go ahead of the group, armed with melee weapons, quietly scouting ahead and dealing with any infected. If there was a large group or a special infected, they would either return to the group to discuss what to do or shout for help if it was needed. With 30 survivors, there was a high chance of easily defeating one special infected, save a tank. A Tank would be deadly on the crowded freeway, with so many cars and other throw able objects close at hand. The scouts would take shifts, switching out with people from the main group of survivors. With the plan in mind, everyone set out, gripping his or her weapon tightly.

We spent the rest of the day on highway 6, but we managed to get to the entrance of interstate highway 65 before diverting off the freeway into a forest for the night. Montgomery was nearby, just about two hour's walk, less if you used my leaping speed. There was smoke rising from the buildings, but there was no sign of any fires from inside the skyscraper-laden city. Everyone kept glancing at it nervously, as though an entire horde was going to burst forth and charge him or her. Everyone was on edge. And as the sunset sank down below the horizon line, that tension mounted as everyone settled down for the night. However, after a short meal and a quick assignment of who was on watch during the different hours of the night, everyone eventually calmed down slightly. We were all exhausted from walking along with highway in the driving rain and wind. The male survivor tied me to one of the trees, and then Lily draped my blanket over me, tucking in the corners to give me the best protection from the wind. I slid my goggles off of my face and down so that they were around my neck, and pulled the hood low over my face. It took a few minutes, but exhaustion kicked in and soon I was sound asleep, Lily lying down next to my tree.

Screams and gunfire echoed through the forest, driving me out of my peaceful slumber. Dark figures were darting through the trees, people dressed in dark clothes and armed with guns, already firing. My survivor group was under attack! As I watched, the male survivor who kept tying me up fell to the ground, bleeding from a dozen wounds, and the dark figure that shot him run over and snatch the man's backpack right off of him, along with his weapon. This was happening all over the town, and there were so many bodies of my group. I struggled against my bonds, searching frantically for Lily. She wasn't in her sleeping bag, nor was she in the pile of bodies. She, like the others, had apparently fled into the woods with the others. The Duchess was gone as well, and now there were more dark figures than my survivor group. Tears were trickling down my cheeks, watching the others getting gunned down and brutally murdered. They didn't deserve this. No one deserved this, except for the dark figures in the trees.

One of them approached me, noticing the ropes binding me to the tree. He knelt down in front of me, grinning, rifling through my backpack. He eyed the packages of raw meat with something like disgust (the best stuff was at the bottom, where it would be protected). I growled at him, baring my fangs right in his face, my yellow eyes flashing angrily. I fastened my teeth around the man's arm, digging in with all the strength behind my jaw. The man screamed, struggling, trying to unclamp my jaws from around his arm. I wouldn't let go, snarling and growling around his hand, my infected yellow eyes glowering with anger. I would kill him, no, _tear him to shreds_ for what he had done. These hadn't been my friends, per se, and we'd had our arguments and differences, but they had still helped me escape the laboratory and the insane scientist that had tormented me there. They'd shared their lodgings and their bathroom, and had trusted my judgment (for the most part) on the number of infected and the map. They hadn't been friends, but they'd been close as was possible for an infected and humans. And now I was angry.

_**That's right… kill them, tear them apart! Rip them apart until there's nothing but giblets left, and then you will have avenged them!**_

But now the man raised a gun, and he aimed it straight at my face. I was too far-gone, too far absorbed in my primal, infected rage. _BANG!_ The man collapsed, his body limp, blood splashing onto my face as the bullet fried the man's brains. The Duchess stood there a few feet away, a pistol clutched in her hands. She nodded at me once as I spat out the man's arm, and then more survivors streamed into the campsite, firing guns at the dark figures. Many of them fell, but the remaining few streamed away under the cover of darkness, leaving behind the corpses of their fellows and survivors behind. After all of them had fled, everyone who was left stood there, shell-shocked. Including me, there was ten of us left.

"Split up and search all the bodies. Take their backpacks and whatever supplies they have, and then separate our group and burn them. The noise will have attracted infected; we need to leave as soon as possible, and we don't have time for a grave. Burning them will be all we can do. Leave the other attackers for the zombies to feast on." The Duchess said coldly, everyone remaining dashing to do her bidding while Lily cut my bonds. I stood up, rubbing my wrists, and then wiped away the blood on my face before picking up my own backpack, shoving my blanket in it, and then joining the search. About thirty minutes later the corpses were stacked and the fire lit, and I had a few more bottles of water and food. Several of the remaining survivors were injured, and we had already used most of the medical supplies. There was a map on one of the attackers, which we had figured to be another group of survivors desperate for supplies, and according to the map there was an outpost station near the highway, for stranded cars and trucks.

It took another hour to reach the station, and while the Duchess, Lily and I cleared the remaining infected there, the others piled inside. Once we were all inside and out of the rain, the Duchess turned towards me, her eyes desperate.

"Alex, I need you to do something. We have a few supplies here, but not enough, and the only place we can get more is Montgomery. You're an infected, something that comes in handy right here, right now. We can wait here three days for you, before infection kicks in or we start going without food. I need you to get whatever supplies, as much as you can, from the city, and bring it to us. Can you do that for me?" She asked, and I could tell the Duchess was on her last legs. She was trembling, and clutching a knife wound in her side, and she was clearly making the last decision she could before she was out of energy.

"Please, please go as soon as possible…" she murmured, relief flooding her expression, before the older woman collapsed to the ground, unconscious. I got her up on the counter, taking out my own first aid and applying it to the wound, before nodding to Lily, who looked worried but nodded back. She had heard what the Duchess said, and although I could tell she was scared for me, there was no other way. I was the only one who could get into the city without bringing a horde on my head, and I was the fastest and most physically fit at the moment. Without another glance, I changed into the longer and warmer pants, and emptied my backpack of everything but a few packs of bacon and a map. I would need the space for carrying supplies. With that ready, I exited the rest stop, and turned towards the ramp heading into the city, crouching and leaping into the night.


	22. Clash of Wills

**Author's Note: ****I CAME THROUGH. I DECREE THERE SHOULD BE MORE OOS. I tried to write all three days in this chapter, but that failed so lol no. The other two days will be written in the next chapter, along with some surprises C:**

**Sorry, sleep needed now. *faints***

**~x~**

* * *

Rain poured down in thick sheets of water, soaking me to the bone in little to no time at all. I decided it would be safer for now to walk into Montgomery, despite my sense of urgency. Quite a few of the cars had alarms, and I didn't want to accidentally set one off by leaping car to car. There was also the weather to factor in as well. Already there were giant puddles of rainwater, and one slip while leaping meant a world of pain and broken bones, and I couldn't risk that. The vivid image of the Duchess, clutching her bloody wound and gasping at me to help popped up in the front of my mind, and I shook my head doggedly to clear my head. _She asked for help: mainly medical supplies and food. Just get the supplies, and everything will be fine._

My main hope with the city was that looters had no chance of ransacking it; the city had been overrun as soon as the infection broke out, if my knowledge was correct. There must have been a panic, if the sea of cars gave any indication. There were dozens of accidents along the ramp and in the streets on the outskirts of the city, and I could see some charred corpses jutting out of broken windows and windshields, their limbs broken and crushed.

At least those people died quickly and (hopefully) painlessly. Others weren't so lucky. Even with the constant loud drumming of the rain, I could still hear the constant moans and groans of the infected. Even my imagination could not prepare me for Montgomery.

It was similar to when I was younger, when I attended a giant festival. The place had been packed with people shoulder to shoulder, so close together I had not been able to stretch an arm out without hitting at least two people.

The city was similar to that festival, but much, much larger. Giant swathes of groaning, puking, shrieking infected were clustered together between cars, on the sidewalks, and in the middle of the streets. I heard a tinkle of glass breaking over the sound of the rain, and looking up, I saw an infected plummeting from a window from one of the skyscrapers and land in the lurching mass below. I couldn't hear the sound of all of its bones breaking, which was a mercy. There was a constant undertone of noise from the infected, loud even over the pouring rain.

The massive numbers of the infected paralyzed me. Memories from when I was human sprang to the front of my mind, my instincts screaming at me to run, to hide, anything to get away from the zombies in front of me before any of them spotted me. But it was too late for that, since I could see some heads were turned in my direction. However, even though most of the infected could see me, none made a hostile move in my direction.

I had seen infected sight their prey and attack with their eyes full of that ravenous, inhuman hunger, and I had often been the unlucky one running from that terror. But now… now I was paid no attention, the infected merely shuffling in random directions, bumping into their fellow zombies, growling and moaning. It was almost pathetic, looking at them now, stumbling over each other like sleepwalking children or someone learning to walk for the first time. From where I stood, it seemed impossible that humanity would fall to such clumsy creatures. But then again, I knew too well how the shambling infected could turn into snarling, senseless predators in the drop of a hat, mindlessly pursuing their prey, ignoring all bodily harm or obstacles. And with such numbers as these, this horde was so very, very dangerous.

But now I was just standing there in the rain, gawping at the large amount of infected, while Lily and the others were just barely out of sight of the infected. I hoped that they would keep their wits about them and remain in that outpost during the three days, or I would return to find nine new corpses. Going outside was risky for them; for once, being infected was somewhat of a small, small blessing. I wouldn't go so far as to be thankful for the virus inside me, no, that would be too far. My infected status was merely… useful here, nothing more, and nothing less. I would still give up all the power, all the new abilities I had, to regain my humanity. Perhaps one day there would be a cure, but I doubted that. But for now, I could… use this infection to my advantage, and help my human survivors. We weren't friends, per se, no… but they needed me just as much as I needed them, and now I could perhaps strengthen the bond, to prove I was more than just an intelligent monster.

I decided that jumping was worth it now, there was no way I was going to be able to explore the city in the thick of a large infected horde, let alone carry supplies. It would be easier to stockpile the supplies over the two days, and then on the third day bring everything back trip by trip. However, that wouldn't do for now. My priority was to get the remaining nine medical supplies; they already had some food and water in their packs from yesterday's scavenging.

All it took was a small sprint and then I was airborne, clearing the heads of the infected horde to land on a telephone pole. Luckily, there was no power to the city, and thus landing near one of the breakers didn't result in a painful death on my part. The telephone poles would be the safest bet for now, since they were above the horde, yet not high enough so that I couldn't see the store names on street level. Still, I would be wary. In a city this large, there were bound to be special infected, even Hunters like myself. Worse, there was a possibility of Tanks being present.

With a shudder I remembered the Tank among the seething hordes below the CEDA lab's roof as I leapt for the helicopter. That pure muscled mass of death angrily bowling aside other infected in its desperation to reach the humans was clear in my memory, despite the brief glimpse I had of it. While the common infected would ignore me, I had no idea if the Spitters, Boomers, Jockeys, Hunters, Chargers, and Smokers would ignore me as well. The special infected were different, with a crude sort of malign intelligence. Did they all have the same inner infected in their minds as I did, controlling their actions? Witches and Tanks were to be avoided at all costs. With my plans made, I cautiously leaped to the next telephone pole, scouting the streets below for any sort of pharmacy. Food could wait for now; medical supplies came first.

The rain kept up as I searched, soaking into my already wet clothing and dripping down onto the heads of the infected below. The further I ventured into the city, the worse the clogging became. Entire streets were choked up with infected corpses piled up on top of each other, and then living infected wandering over their decaying bodies. Sometimes I caught glimpses of infected eating dead bodies, whole groups of them swaying and growling over corpses. I nearly vomited the first time I saw this from my perches, and decided afterward it would be best not to look. There was ruin and destruction everywhere, the remnants of humanity that had destroyed the city before succumbing to the virus.

My first stop was at a pharmacy whose doors were half-buried in rubble. I jumped down from the telephone pole, sending up a large splash of water as I landed in a puddle. There were infected mere feet away, but they paid me no notice. It was easy enough to break one of the windows to the pharmacy, and slip inside the dark interior of the store. My dark-adapted vision was useful now, allowing me to see the shapes and names of all the products still on the shelves. This place had not been raided, as far as I could see, beyond a few shelves of supplies. There was still quite a bit of medical supplies left over in the pharmacy, and I would definitely take as much as I could.

My hiking backpack was mostly empty except for a metal water bottle (full of water), a pack of raw bacon, and my boots. I frowned at the boots. I did not want to ditch the footwear, seeing how the weather kept getting colder and colder, but they also took up valuable space. But still, the solution was fairly simple I removed them from the backpack, and untied the laces. I secured the laces around one of the straps of the hiking backpack as such that the boots would dangle from the backpack, thus saving precious space.

This dilemma solved, I scurried around the dark pharmacy. My eyesight wasn't good enough to read the too-small text on any of the medication in the over-the-counter medication section, so I decided not to waste time searching for pills and instead took several pre-made camping first aid kits, stacking them one on top of the other in the backpack. I glanced inside the pack, checking the amount of room still there. Good. From my position in the middle of a dark isle, just barely illuminated by the light outside, I peered around. There were items scattered all over the floor, mostly pill bottles and the odd bag of snacks. There were other items all over the ground, and I could make out the small shapes of children's backpacks and school supplies. There was even a stuffed tiger, too ragged and worn to be brand new, lying on the floor. I picked it up, stroking the matted fur. This tiger had been well loved by a child once. What had happened? Where had the child gone, and why did he or she leave their precious animal behind? I didn't want to know the answer, but it suddenly felt wrong to leave the tiger on the floor, in the center of a wrecked pharmacy in the middle of a ruined city. Even though it would take up space, I tucked the stuffed tiger into one of the side pockets.

I steeled myself again, delving deeper into the pharmacy. What I found was not pleasant. Every new isle, every new corner of the place held new surprises, some of them pleasant, others not so much. Near the beverage section, where there was a wall of non-functioning refrigerators, I found most of them painted red and black with drying blood. A man sat near one of them, surrounded by five infected corpses, and there was a gun in his left hand, his finger still on the trigger. There was a large hole in the side of his head, where he, in some desperate attempt to avoid infection, had blown his own brains out. The smell of him was enticing, to say the least. To a human, he would've smelled like rotting meat. His corpse was swollen and bloated, his neck and face a greenish-blue color, along with the rest of his body. There were blisters on his dead skin, and there was fluid leaking from the nose and mouth. To a human, the sight of him would have put them off eating, and coupled with the rotting meat smell, many would have thrown up.

But to me, no, that man looked as enticing as a banquet. My stomach growled angrily, and I could hear the inner Hunter stirring. My mouth opened, and I started to salivate. It was nothing I could describe before; this animal hunger took over suddenly, so suddenly I couldn't fight against it. It felt like I was forced to watch myself take steps towards the dead corpse, dropping down to all fours. The other infected were pushed away from the corpse, their skin also swollen and bloated from rigor mortis. My animal self didn't care. Nothing but the food mattered…

_**Dead meat is better than no meat… Eat. Eat. Eateateateateateateateat!**_

My jaws were sinking into the swollen, blue-green hand now, and it tasted like bliss, like the best-cooked piece of meat I ever had. My body made a pleased growl, and my body bit down. _**Delicious… Finally, at last… My purpose…**_

NO! I scrambled back, trying to get as far away as I could from the man's corpse, vainly spitting out his hand and trying to waste the taste from my mouth. It had tasted so good, even though dead for a while, and my body had craved it, the inner Hunter had craved it, and for a split second, **I** had craved that taste. That taste of human flesh, so soft and delicious beneath the delicate skin…

My stomach rebelled now, and I doubled over, violently retching onto the ground. I did not stop for five whole minutes, until everything in my stomach was gone and all I had to throw up was putrid yellow-green bile. Trembling like a leaf, I remained on all fours in the dark pharmacy, leaning against a nearby shelf for support, unwilling to even look at the corpse.

There was no denying it; I had slipped. One minute of pure infected instinct, of pure animal hunger, and the inner Hunter had emerged, and together, we- no, I had feasted on human flesh. I could still taste it in my mouth underneath the strong burn of the bile, and I spat rapidly on the floor. I had grown too complacent, merely ignoring the inner Hunter instead of building up defenses! I was losing the struggle within. The Duchess was right. I was a monster. Just one more slip like that, around humans… The end result would never be pretty, and then the Duchess would have to go with her word and finally put me down.

_I will never taste human again. __**Ever.**__ I swear it now._ I silently vowed taking a piece of cloth from the nearby shelf and wiping my face clean with it. After that was done, I slowly and shakily stood up, clutching the shelf for support. I couldn't face the blue-green corpse again, not after what I'd done. I offered a silent apology to the poor soul, and then turned away. The rest of the trip was uneventful, just scavenging for bandages, antiseptic, Band-Aids, and whatever else I thought was useful. Just fifteen minutes later, my hiking backpack was full with medical supplies. Still, I feared it was not enough. I had to help the human survivors as much as possible, especially after what had just occurred.

I exited the pharmacy after my backpack was stuffed absolutely to the brim, but I wasn't sure if even all of the supplies I had was enough. There were nine people, and I hadn't gotten a good glimpse of who was injured and who wasn't. There was also the problem with serious wounds. They needed constant bandage changing and disinfecting, and with nine people all of my supplies would vanish instantly. On top of that, there was still the fact that all of them needed food and water for the next upcoming journey. Plus, it was around 1 o'clock in the morning, since I had checked the still-functioning solar-powered digital clock in the entrance of the pharmacy. I hadn't had any rest since the short amount of time before the camp was attacked and most of the survivors were killed. The rain was still pouring down, and now I heard the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. Outside, I heard the screams and shrieks of the infected. The storm was riling them up! All of them screamed and howled at the sky, clawed hands uselessly grasping and grabbing for something intangible. They were crawling over one another, attacking each other in their storm-driven fury, and perched as I was on top of a telephone pole, it occurred to me that I had to get somewhere for the night, or at least until daylight brought more visibility.

Wind buffeted me as I sprang from telephone pole to telephone pole, and rain was blowing directly into my eyes. My goggles would not help, and even with my superb Hunter-graced vision, I could barely see. There was no chance of getting back to the outpost; I would have to bed down somewhere for the night. With the howling wind and rain, along with the rampaging infected, I just hoped the survivors would know to lower the curtains inside the outpost, lock the doors, arm themselves and remain silent. Even with the storm, a gunshot would probably attract a few dozen, which would in turn attract more and more until the entire city was upon them. I could only pray for their safety, and hope for the best.

There was a building up ahead under construction; it would do for the night. I hopped down to the second floor, away from any wandering infected from below. Half of the staircase was missing, ensuring I would be quite alone on this floor. However, there was a surprise waiting for me. There was a homeless person's shopping cart, equipped with sleeping bags and tarps of all kinds, lying flat on its side. It was on the side of the building that was sheltered from the wind, as the other half was completely open to the storm, but slightly secured by tarps. There was a large puddle of blood next to the cart, and then there were stains. Whoever had made the blood puddle had dragged him or her around the corner, but I couldn't hear anything over the howling torpor of the storm. I cautiously approached, crawling forward, peeking around the corner…

_CRASH!_ A clap of lightning illuminated the bright red eyes staring straight at me, and the Witch screamed loudly, startled. All this time she had been growling, agitated by the storm, and I hadn't heard… I shrieked loudly as the platinum blonde dashed towards me, her long razor claws outstretched, and scrambled back at all fours, crouched, ready to leap away from the danger. The claws missed me by an inch, I swear it, but then the Witch continued on, running at the flashing lightning, screaming at the top of her lungs, and disappeared over the edge. I heard her screams echoing loudly as she descended, and then her noise was also swallowed by the storm.

For a minute I just stared at the place the Witch had vanished, scared witless and paralyzed by fear. It took another three minutes to finally coax my limbs into working again, and, shaken, I crawled back towards the shopping cart. Tugging the whole thing ten feet away from the bloodstains, I searched the contents of the cart. There were tons of blankets and tarps, something I could definitely use to warm myself up with. There also were a few processed snacks, mostly sweets that I couldn't eat, but they might come in handy later. There was also a small lamp, and several bottles of water, along with a few zip-ties and coils of rope. I turned the shopping cart on its side, lashing the tarps on top of it with the rope and then pushed it against the wall, creating a small den inside.

I piled the blankets inside, making it nice and snug, and then shrugged off the backpack and my jacket. Most of my clothes were soaked through, and I shrugged all of them off except for the boxers, which were only damp. I laid out the clothes on top of the side of the shopping cart, but underneath the tarps so the wind wouldn't blow them away. This way, the clothes would have some way of drying before dawn. Once that was done, I used the last waterproof tarp to wrap the hiking backpack, and then wrapped that with a blanket. I could use the thing as a pillow of sorts. Finally finished with that task, I crawled inside the warm shelter, as a last thought pulling out the stuffed tiger. The thing looked so desolate, without someone to hold it. It was easy to deceive myself that I was doing this for an unknown child; I really needed the familiar comfort a stuffed animal brought as well, though it did nothing to help with crushing despair. Closing my eyes, I fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

_**Don't lie to yourself, and to me. You know you enjoyed that measly morsel. You relished the sweet taste of meat your body and mind craves above all else. Don't lielielielielielielielieliel ielielielielielielielielieli elie…**_

My eyes shot open, and I sat up abruptly, only to wince in pain as my head connected with the rim of the shopping cart. My forehead smarting, I ducked my head, my sides heaving and slick with sweat. It had been another dream, but no nightmares involved, just that voice again, the inner Hunter… I shivered violently. It hurt, being forced to dream and wake without reprise from the most hated being in my life besides the Scientist. When had the inner Hunter risen to that place of honor and hatred? Had it always been there? Clutching my head, I growled softly, massaging my temples with clawed hands and accidentally scraping my claws against my agitated forehead as a reward. I really needed to dull down the claws; I could barely do anything anymore that required finger work. My claws were razor sharp, and instincts drove them to slash and tear, not to pick up food or brush one's hair. I sighed, dropping my hands down into my lap, where they closed around the stuffed tiger. My morning was not going well, at all, and now the issue of the inner Hunter was pressing close at hand.

I honestly didn't know what to do. There was no one to talk to, even if I could talk, which I couldn't. I could communicate with a large black marker and a piece of paper, but I still wouldn't be able to get everything I wanted to through that medium. It was so frustrating, and I couldn't do anything about it. The inner Hunter was that constant problem worrying me, driving me crazy trying to solve. I felt like a cornered animal, no, a cornered monster, affected by the rage and instincts and feelings shoved upon me by the infected persona, and I couldn't control it. I thought I had been in control, had been in charge, but earlier today, with that man's corpse, I had been proved wrong. The fact sickened me.

With a growl, I shoved off the warm pile of blankets and moved the shopping cart away from the wall. The light was weak, the sun still blocked by heavy gray storm clouds. Rain was still falling, but it was a light rain, and the wind wasn't blowing this time around. I grimaced, standing up, stretching the cramped joints of my back and legs (I had had to curl up in a ball in order to fit inside the shopping cart). The morning air made me shiver, and I hastened to put on my pants, shirt, and jacket, which were for the most part dry. I felt a bit better after putting them on, and I carefully tucked the stuffed tiger back into its place of honor in the hiking backpack pocket. I also rummaged around in the supplies, pulling out the strips of raw bacon and sitting down the breakfast. It was a bit meager, but that was to be expected. I had only packed one packet of bacon, because I had known I would need the space for the supplies.

Once I downed the bacon, I threw away the remaining plastic gloomily, readying myself for another arduous journey back to the outpost. I had lost my way in the early morning storm, and I hoped if I could just find the outskirts of the city it would be easy to find the off-ramp where the outpost was. That was key. I shouldered the backpack, made certain that all pockets and straps were tight and secure, and then I crawled over to the edge of the building. The streets were lacking some infected, thought I could see corpses piled up everywhere. In the frenzy of such a violent storm, the infected had attacked each other in reaction to the loud noise and bright lights. There were still tons of them in the street, no doubt, but the storm had cleared quite a few of them out. I mentally made a note of that, and then started off the morning exercise by gracefully leaping to a windowsill of the building across from me.

I wanted to try something once, no matter the risk. Ever since I had been little, I had grown up watching the super hero movies where the skyscrapers of any major city were the playgrounds of all the heroes, just like Spiderman. With my supernatural speed, agility, climbing ability, and jumping ability, I just wanted one glimpse. One glimpse. But now was not the time for that. I pounced from the windowsill to the roof of a smaller building, before ascending back up to a fire escape on one of the apartments.

It took another hour to find the pharmacy I had looted yesterday, and then another ten minutes to get back on track. Everything looked different in the daylight, where all of the buildings, the streets, and infected were illuminated by the weak watery-grey light filtering through the storm clouds above. But in the end I managed to find the off-ramp again, still choked with cars, and there I landed, to make the rest of the journey by foot. I passed a few infected as I wove through the cars, and I felt awkward and scared at having them in such close proximity. The infected had harsh, ragged breathing as they stumbled along, the sores and rashes prominent on their grey-yellow skin. Their bright yellow eyes, identical to my own were glazed over and unable to focus on something. Their pupils were dilated, and I was disgusted and scared at the same time. Had I not overcome the virus, with this presence of my human self, would I be like that shuffling corpse, dressed in all green and face smeared with blood? I passed by them with a wide berth, and they ignored me in turn.

I nearly ran the last couple of feet before I reached the outpost, where the blinds were down and it looked for the entire world just like another abandoned human relic. The other survivors were good at hiding themselves, and had survived the events of the storm. At least, I hoped so. Timidly, I wondered what to do. Banging on the windows might end badly, and most likely with a shotgun shell in my brain. I instead quietly knocked on the door, tapping out a pattern of three that no infected would ever imitate. There was a moment's pause, and then the door opened roughly, and there was the expected shotgun, the muzzle resting under my chin.

The Duchess glared at me for a few seconds, before she realized who it was.

"Oh, thank god," she said, lowering the shotgun and ushering me inside, "I was beginning to worry about you."

She shut the door carefully after me, bolting it shut. The whole place was relatively dark, with the exception of a lamp placed on a nearby table. There was one person slumped on a bed, and I could see their clothes were bloody, but everyone else seemed fine. The Duchess had ripped her own clothes and made a makeshift bandage for herself, but she needed to have it treated.

Everyone watched, their eyes wide, as I upended the hiking backpack onto the table. a small grin visible on my face. Everyone gasped as the tons of medical supplies came out, spilling across the table. Once everything was out, I dropped the backpack and sat down, my legs aching.

"Alex, you damned little miracle worker," The Duchess said, already pouring the supplies, "thank you. You've saved us."

I felt my face flush with pride at hearing those words. Along with her, the other eight people there awkwardly thanked me as well, but I could hear the note of sincerity behind the bumbling sentences. I could do this. I could help my friends.

But there was something missing. Lily! Where was Lily? She hadn't greeted me like she would when I entered, nor had she been there when I showed the supplies. Instinctively, my eyes fell to the form lying on the bed. Lily was there, her side bandaged tightly with the remains of her shirt, her eyes tightly shut. Her skin was flushed, her eyes closed, and her breathing harsh. With a harsh whine and ragged gasp, I dashed over towards her, my clawed hands frantically hovering over her, unable to touch her, but so worried…

"Her fever broke about an hour ago, which is good, but she fought long and hard while you were gone, Alex." The Duchess said, putting her hand on my shoulder, appearing as if from nowhere. I stared at her breathlessly, imploring her to go on.

"Now that you've brought us the proper medical supplies we need, I can fix her up. But Alex, we still need you. We need supplies for the road ahead, with more than half our number lost to those murderin' bastards." The Duchess spat, and I winced.

"We still need your help, Alex, and in return I will personally make sure Lily is taken care of to the best of our ability. Today is a new day, but you look awful, Alex."

This was true. Though I had gotten a few hours of sleep, it wasn't enough for my body. I needed at least three more hours before I would feel 100%. I was aware of the dark bags under my eyes now, and how my hands shook when I stood still.

"Take a quick nap, and then head back out. You still have the rest of the today, since it's still early morning, and then tonight and tomorrow. On the dawn of the third day is when we are leaving. Now rest, because you are going to need your strength for the days ahead."


	23. For Whom the Bell Tolls

**Author's Note: Oath of Sacrifice is now exactly one year old. Wow, I feel proud of myself. In honor of OOS' birthday, this chapter is the longest I have written to date. Enjoy!**

**~x~**

**For Whom the Bell Tolls**

I could barely sleep. Under the Duchess' stern eye, I managed to doze for half an hour, wrapped up in blankets on the floor. It had not been very comfortable, and my backside had a familiar ache when I stood up. I stretched quickly, massaging warmth into my arms and legs. The air inside of the outpost was warm, from the amount of people inside, but I could tell that it would be chilly outside. The storm had passed, but the sky was still swathed in gray clouds, the light murky.

Lily was looking better than when I went to sleep, but maybe I thought that because the Duchess gave her the medicine I brought back. I yawned once, and then treaded over to my backpack. The other survivors had unloaded the giant hiking backpack, probably while I was asleep. However, the stuffed tiger was right next to the backpack, and I picked it up gingerly.

I turned it over in my claws, examining the stuffed toy, and then padded over towards my sister and nestled the tiger in her sleeping arms. Before the infection, Lily had been crazy about stuffed animals. Her bed had been covered with at least eight at one time, and when she was little she would only go to sleep when there was a stuffed animal present.

Lily muttered in her sleep, turning on her side, and her arms tightened around the stuffed animal out of reflex. I cracked a small smile at that, and lightly petted her forehead before turning away. I still had a long journey ahead, and I was still tired from the recent trip. I shouldered the backpack, surprised at how light it was currently. However, it would soon be weighed down with any supplies I could take.

As I walked towards the door, one of the survivors looked up from where she was sitting near the windowsill. It was one of the women, a sandy-haired, weathered lady who appeared to be in her mid-30s. I believe her name was Alice, though I was unsure. Since our group had been formed, the other survivors had for the most part ignored me, with the exception of the Duchess and Lily. I had heard them talking to each other, and I knew most of their names, but they had never spoken to me face to face.

"Hey… Alex, right?" Alice muttered awkwardly, her eyes traveling up to my face, and then quickly back down to her feet again. Was I making her nervous? That would make a lot of sense. I nodded at her, feeling awkward. In fact, this whole 'conversation' was a little too awkward.

"I want to thank you, Alex. Y'know, because of what you've been doing for us. No human could go into that city now and survive, and no human could have gotten us these supplies. The others don't want to say this, but you are one of the reasons we are still alive. And I want to thank you now, rather than later. I can't imagine what it was like, turning…" Alice trailed off, and then glanced toward her knees again.

I was glad she did, because her brown eyes were very hard to look into. All the nervous gratitude, and pity… ever since I had turned, I thought I would never have conversations like this again.

Alice jabbed out a hand, and I flinched automatically, taking a step backwards.

"Sorry," Alice offered, and stretched her hand out further. Did she want me to shake hands? I took her hand and gingerly shook it.

"Thanks," Alice said, her mouth quirking into a wry smile, "shouldn't keep you from the supply trip any longer. Be seeing ya."

I nodded, at her, and then opened the door to the outpost, closing it behind me. The lock clicked, and I stepped forward. The highway was littered with dozens of tree branches and other forest debris. There was also cracked glass scattered on the hoods of cars and the pavement from where the windshields of the abandoned cars had cracked and shattered.

There were a few infected present, but a safe enough distance away from the outpost that I wasn't worried for the people inside. All of the survivors would remain silent anyway, because their lives depended on it.

I walked down the off-ramp back into Montgomery, where I could hear the loud collective moans and groans from the infected. I could see a few of them snarling at each other, arms clumsily tearing at each other, teeth snapping and biting at each other's throats.

As I watched, one of the infected overpowered the other, knocking the infected to the ground. In a flash, five other infected joined in, crowding over the body, tearing into it. A few seconds later their faces were painted with gore and they were feeding eagerly.

I watched, transfixed, as the feasting infected finished their meal quickly and aimlessly wandered away, one of them vomiting up the meal onto the pavement. I felt sick to my stomach. Adjusting the hood of my jacket and the goggles, I wove around the abandoned cars and when I reached the first buildings of Montgomery, I crouched and easily sprung to the roof of a nearby thrift store.

From there, I dug my hands into the crumbling bricks of the building and started to scale higher. I would need a vantage point to see what might be available.

When the faded brick buildings melded away into glass and metal, it was still so easy to find handholds and footholds. My hands were strong, and so were my legs. It was a small workout, and I ascended quickly up the side of a twelve-story hotel. I could see inside every hotel room I passed. Some rooms were a disaster zone, filled with strewn belongings and spattered with blood. Some were pristine, untouched by the infected.

Upwards I went, climbing ever higher. I didn't need to go to the roof of the hotel, and my arms were starting to tire. I was quite high up already, and I rested on one of the balconies, looking down at the ruined city.

From where I stood, I could see the entrance to the underground metro. Part of the city was flooded, and I saw the glint of water in the stairwell leading down into the subway. A water main had to have burst, since even the storm yesterday couldn't have flooded the whole subway system. With no city maintenance left alive in the city, no one could fix the sewers. Eventually, the whole of the city streets might be covered with a layer of water. Not that it would affect the zombies.

I scanned the rest of the city. Skyscrapers blocked my view of most of the city, but I could see a few places where lights still flickered on and off, indicating that there was power in those areas. One of those areas appeared to be the downtown area, but a building blocked most of my view. I had to move to get a better look.

I had no fear as I mounted the balcony railing. Instead, as I crouched down, I felt excited, ready for the gravity-defying leap. It was about fifty feet to the next building, and when I connected with the apartment building's wall, I found it easy to use the momentum to launch myself at another building. This 'wall-jumping' was fascinating, it was exhilarating, and I could move so quickly between the buildings. I could go as high or as low as I wanted.

I felt as free as a bird, that I could go anywhere as quickly as I could, stories high above the ground. No human could do this kind of feat. No human could go this fast, this high. I felt great, my muscles pleasantly aching, my hood blown back off of my face. For a few minutes, I felt nothing other than the _fun_ of traveling as a Hunter.

It was only after a few minutes I realized that I was in the central downtown of Montgomery, perched on the steeple of a Catholic church, staring down at the half-flooded street. The once colorful and pristine stores were ruined, with a few inches of water lapping into their walls and on their carpeted floors. I could see racks of clothes and merchandise scattered around on the floors, cashiers looted, furniture overturned. There was a massive amount of abandoned cars in the street, and most of them were expensive brands.

But the largest thing I noticed was the massive barricade blocking off the street. It was littered with sandbags, mounted turrets, and barbed wire. I could see ripped yellow tape floating in the water, and large signs had been placed on the wall reading: QUARENTINE ZONE- TRESPASSERS WILL BE ELIMINATED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE and 'EVACUATION SAFE ZONE- PREPARE TO BE PROCESSED'. There were corpses of camouflage-clad soldiers, but no signs of their guns or equipment. Some were draped over the giant tank tipped over in the middle of the street, its gun crushed and the wheels broken.

I could see what went wrong with the barricade. Though there were dozens of infected corpses in front of the barricade, I could see up the street that something large and heavy had knocked aside the cars like toys and sent them flying into the nearby buildings and storefronts before crashing through the cement barricade and breaking the tank like a toy.

However, the level of destruction seemed to more than one Tank could cause. Had there been two? Unprepared as they had been when the Green Flu broke out, the military couldn't have stood up to two Tanks.

There wasn't much in the downtown district, but I did spot a second floor pharmacy and grocery store. I dropped down onto the street from the steeple of the church, water splashing around my ankles. I slogged through the filthy water across the street, clambering up the barricade to scale the building wall. One of the windows had no glass, and I crawled through the hole. The whole store hummed with power, and the lights were still on inside. There were rows and rows of merchandise still inside, pristine bottles of painkillers and Tylenol and other over-the-counter medicine. It was a looter's paradise, and I hustled in eagerly, taking my time browsing the selection.

I picked out painkillers, sleeping medication, dozens of rolls of gauze, a few bottles of disinfectant, something that could be used as a splint. However, when I got to feminine hygiene, I froze. This was dangerous territory here, but I had heard one woman complaining about her period on the road, before the raid. I was unsure who it had been, and I didn't know if the woman was one of the living survivors, but I admit that having a period in a zombie apocalypse was a pain.

I packed two boxes of tampons, because even after all I had shoved into the backpack, there was still a lot of room. After an awkward moment, I scanned the shelves for pads. Just looking at all of them made my face flush awkwardly. _Out of all the things I thought I would do in the zombie apocalypse, I never thought shopping for this was not on my list._

There were so many options, but eventually I saw the words 'heavy duty' and hurriedly shoved it into the backpack. After that was done, I continued my search of the rest of the store. There were a few more things available, such as energy bars and cold water in the small fridge by the cash register, but I would be able to return here tomorrow as well, if this trip was not enough.

Outside, the sun finally broke through the thick layer of storm clouds, and I blinked as a ray of light hit me, surprised at the sudden warmth. I walked over to the broken window and stood there, enjoying the sunlight for a few moments before climbing out the window descending to the flooded street below.

I splashed around the barricade, stepping over and around the piled bodies, who truly looked disgusting. They were weeks old, by the looks of it. Some had skin peeling off, and their bodies were bloated and reeking, their clothes covered in dried black blood. The waterlogged corpses did not emit the same delicious smell as the man in the pharmacy, but instead I felt like retching. They smelled like maggots and other undesirable things, and as I watched, I saw flies buzzing out of one man's skull cavity and maggots writhing under the skin. It was just better to outright avoid their corpses.

However, when I passed one of the corpses something static shrieked, and I jumped in shock. It was a radio! But where was it? I cast around; finally spotting the small black plastic rectangle perched on top of a broken car. I gingerly picked it up, and examined it.

To my surprise, the radio crackled to life as soon as I touched it, and a harsh male voice spoke quietly, "You there, on the street. Yes, you!" the voice continued as I looked around wildly. The street was deserted, which was strange. I couldn't see anyone, or any infected.

"I can see you, kid. You're wearing the green hoodie, goggles, hiking backpack, and long black pants? You see the giant building down the street, the one with hotel rooms? Hold out your hand."

I obeyed the voice, holding out my hand, palm up. For a second I stood there, confused and scared. It wasn't until a red dot alighted on my palm that I realized there was a sniper up the apartments. I flinched, and started to back away.

"I wouldn't do that," warned the man on the radio, "This is Pvt. John Lukas, of the U.S. Marines. As you can see, I have a sniper, and I'm pretty sure I can shoot faster than you can run. Or I could shoot a car, and set off the alarm. I'm sorry to do this, but my commander is injured and I can't move out in the open. I'd be willing to trade for supplies, but you have to help me here kid. You're some kind of parkour running, am I right? I saw you scale the wall. Just get in the pharmacy again and get me what I need, and we can both walk away from this happy and in one piece."

I tucked the radio into one pocket and sighed, turning away from the red laser dot. I didn't want the man to see my face through the scope, because it would mean a heavy-caliber sniper round going through my face. Maybe a clean headshot wouldn't hurt, but I had no desire to die.

The man hadn't realized I was infected, and I wanted to keep it that way. Pulling the collar of my hoodie all the way up, I ran towards the building again and vaulted up, climbing the rest of the way and slipped inside. Once I was out of sight, I bolted down the aisle, my heart hammering in my chest. The radio crackled again.

"She's got a broken arm and a few scratches, so you'll need some sort of splint, bandages, disinfectant, and pain relievers. Once you are done, come back out into the street. I got tons of supplies up here, enough to feed a regiment for months. I'd be happy to share some of it with you for your services," John radioed, and I sighed. Sure, I'd love to have the food, but the man could've been a bit more polite. Threatening to snipe someone if they ran was not a good way to get in my good books. Still, there was no other choice. There were still supplies left over from my raid, and I bundled them up into a plastic bag I found behind the register. But before I went back to the broken window, I had a plan.

I took some gauze from the shelves and wrapped it several times around my hands and wrists, knotting it off crudely. I did this as well for my feet, hiding the infected skin and the strange boils and bulges. There were employee aprons and shirts in the backroom, and it was easy to rip one up, and make a rough bandanna.

This I tied around my face, and placed the welding goggles on top. It wasn't much, but when I looked in the backroom mirror I looked human. The cloth covered my lower face and neck, while the goggles and hair hid my eyes and forehead. The bandages weren't much, but they covered the skin and the boils and bumps caused by the infection. Those bumps went all the way up my arms, and were disgusting to look at (and feel, they were on top of each other too), but the jacket covered them up. I couldn't do much about the claws, and I hoped the man wouldn't notice.

I couldn't use any of my Hunter abilities while the sniper was watching, and I felt the red dot alight on me as I clambered over the windowsill and slowly climbed down, digging in my claws for support. Once again, I landed with a splash in the street, and the radio crackled to life.

"Have you got the supplies?" John demanded, and I opened the plastic bag and lifted up what I had, one by one. I heard a sigh of relief echo through the radio, and it was a moment before the sniper spoke again: "Good job kid. You have no idea how grateful I am for this. But you need to come to the hotel building now. The door's blocked, but with your skills I'm sure you can scale the building to one of the lower floors. The place is clear of infected, so you can just walk up. I'm on the 10th floor-"

**DONG!**

John stopped abruptly, and I froze. Slowly I turned to face the church's bell tower. The massive bell was moving back and forth, swinging on a chain.

**DONG!**

"Shit! The bell is on an automatic timer- I'll explain later! Run to the hotel! **RUN!**" John screamed through the radio, but his warning was unnecessary. At the sound of the bell, I could hear the roars and screams, magnified ten times louder and harsher. The infected of the city was riled up by the storm, and now they had heard the bell. A horde was coming, made up of thousands and thousands of ravenous infected.

I sprinted down the street, still mindful of the sniper up in the hotel. My heart pounded in my chest, and I was breathing harshly behind the facemask. I stumbled over dead corpses as infected started to appear in front of me, wandering out from dark alleys and the windows of shops. All of them were crawling, running, hobbling as quickly as physically possible.

**DONG!**

John was practically hyperventilating into the radio as I sprinted closer and closer, whispering harshly to hurry up, his voice panicky and quiet. I hope he didn't notice when I swerved around the infected, and they did not go after me.

**DONG!**

I scrambled up the side of the building, hoisting myself onto the first balcony, about thirty feet above the street level. My claws scrabbled on the plaster-covered building, and I nearly slipped on the balcony railing. I collapsed onto a cheap canvas chair, my chest heaving as I gasped for air. The adrenaline rush was wearing off, and I was covered in sweat.

"Good job, kid. The elevators aren't working, so you'll have to take the stairs up, but the whole place is clear of infected. Remember, I'm on the 10th floor. I'll see you in a few," John murmured, his voice barely audible over the screams of the horde.

**DONG!**

After one final ring, the bell finally stopped tolling, and fell silent. However, the damage had been done. Hundreds upon hundreds of infected were screaming and dashing towards the church. I could see that they were breaking in the windows, shattering the glittering stain glass into a billion colored pieces through sheer numbers. And, as a first, I could see signs of the special infected. There was telltale green smoke moving along with the crowd, and a large, massive figure waddling over one of the fallen cars.

The special infected made me nervous, but it wasn't until I spotted a blur out of the corner of my eye that I retreated inside. The hooded figure was moving too quickly to be any other infected. The Hunter perched on the roof of one of the buildings; it's hooded head turned toward the church bell. It looked so eerily similar to me that I practically dashed inside before it could look in my direction.

The inside of the hotel was lit, but there were still signs of violence. Blood dried and tacky underneath room doors, and wallpaper torn and in some cases the whole wall was broken down. Rooms were trashed, and debris was littered everywhere. But wherever I saw a body, it was covered with either towels or a sheet or something. It appeared that someone had cleaned up the place and paid their respects to the dead with limited resources.

Seemed John wasn't such a bad man after all, if he went out of his way to show some respect to the poor people in the hotel. The stairway was barely lit, by ominously flickering lights, and the whole time I climbed the stairs, I felt like I was going to be attacking at any minute, like this was some scene out of a B-rate horror film. There was also blood-coating part of the railing sections, as though a body had tumbled down the stairwell, hitting each rail as it went down.

I stopped at the tenth floor, and when I opened the stairwell door I saw that the tenth floor was almost pristine, with only a few bloodstains and no sign of any bodies. The lights weren't flickering, and though most of the hotel room doors were tightly boarded up or barricaded, all of the walls were intact. At the end of the hallway, I could see three doors were unblocked. One of them was open, and I padded forward quietly.

The open door was Room 1006-B, and when I slowly crept it I saw not a hotel room, but a well-stocked storeroom. There were boxes upon boxes stacked all around the bed, and I could inside were bottles of water, cans of food, packaged food… Everything my group could ask for. My stomach grumbled at the sight of so many supplies. Where did John get so much stuff?

The bed was free of boxes, and there were clean sheets on the mattress. Lined up neatly next to the bed was a row of guns: pistols, a shotgun, and at least seven different types of sniper rifles. There was also a crowbar with a wicked coil, and a fire axe. I spotted a hot plate in the corner, plugged into the wall socket, and a small Bunsen burner with a grill fitted onto it.

There was evidence of previous meals around the hotplate: cans were littering the surrounding area, and a fork was sitting on top of the hot plate. However, I could not see anyone inside. Was this John's room? The last place to look was the balcony.

Private John Lukas was lying flat on the balcony, his sniper rifle out and ready for use. The man himself was covered with a thick gray canvas, something that made him practically invisible from afar, and it wouldn't reflect light and catch attention. The man had heard me, and with a grunt he stood up, peeling off the gray tarp and revealing gray camouflage underneath. A machete was strapped to his thigh on one side, and there was a magnum on the other side.

John was a tall man, at least a foot taller than me, and he had a buzz cut of blonde hair. His face was a mess of scars, crisscrossing scratches over his nose, mouth, and right eye. That eye was white and sightless, half of the eyelid heavily scarred, giving the whole eye a drooping look. The other eye, however, was a light blue.

We stared at each other for a few moments, and my heart pounded in my chest. This man could easily kill me, if he had managed to survive this long in an infested city. Would he see through my crummy attempt at hiding?

And then the man offered his hand. I didn't take it, but instead held out the plastic bag of supplies.

"I appreciate this, kid. I know you weren't willing to risk your neck for me, but I think we'll both walk away happy. But first, what's your name?" John asked, but I remained silent. There was no way to explain, not without pen and paper, and growling was out of the question. Instead, I gestured towards my throat with one finger, and then made a throat-cutting motion.

"Someone got you in the throat?" John asked, and I nodded. It felt a bit terrible to lie to this man, especially since he was going to give me supplies, but then again, he had threatened me with a gun and I didn't know him. Not only that, but he was in the army. The military could not be trusted fully, not after the giant mess they made of trying to evacuate millions of people.

I had seen towns, before getting to the CEDA base, where the only bodies were ones riddled with bullets and their faces painted in expressions of surprise, fear, or agony. Prattville was also crystal clear in my memory, the warehouses full of the dead bodies of women, men, and children.

"Well, everyone get's injured from this blasted Flu. Me, I got my eye clawed out by an angry horde of infected, the first month it. That was before the commander figured out that this place was a right saferoom, under the conditions. Our squad- there were four of us a while back, before an incident occurred- barricaded this place, stocked up on supplies, and waited for orders. Only, nothing ever came. We'd been stranded here, see, and left for dead," John sighed, running a hand over his face. The man seemed tired, and the story was taking something out of him. I don't know why he was telling me this, someone he's just met, but there wasn't much else to do.

John reached out and took the plastic bag of supplies. He pawed over what was inside, gave an apologetic smile, and then pushed past me. He went out into the hallway and into one of the other open rooms. I followed him, but only because it felt awkward to just stand there.

The other room was also packed to the brim with supplies, but this one wasn't empty. There was a woman lying on the bed, and I knew as soon as I saw her that it was fatal. Maybe John was kidding himself, but I could see her skin was gray-yellow, only a shade lighter than mine. There were open sores all over her arms, and while she was wearing a gas mask over her face, i could see that through the eyeholes her iris color was yellow, and reflective. This woman was turning into an infected, and soon she would be just like the others in the streets.

"It's me, Jen." John practically sobbed, and I felt awkward. The man knew she was turning, and I knew she was turning. My supplies hadn't come in time, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. The Green Flu had already infected her, just like it had infected me.

I turned away from the grieving man and walked out of the room. It was awkward to stand there and watch them, so I decided to give them some privacy. When the magnum went off, and sobs echoed from the other room, I said nothing but instead stared out of the balcony window.

The infected had calmed down now, at least a little bit. They milled aimlessly over around and inside the church, the reason for their blood lust gone. I could see the green smoke rising from the bell tower of the church, indicating the Smoker was still there. The Hunter hadn't moved from its previous place, and its hooded face was moving back and forth, scanning the streets below.

What was it looking for? I drew back away from the window slowly, careful not to make a quick movement. The Hunter frightened me, more than any other special infected. Perhaps it was because I am a Hunter, that the same type of infected that looks nearly identical, sounds nearly identical, and the way we both act is similar as whole.

I had encountered Hunters before turning. They could be silent, up until the second they crouched and by then it was far too late. I had seen people get pinned, and watched the Hunter decorate the pavement and walls with their insides within a matter of seconds. And now, I could do that too, if I so chose. The thought made me shiver.

But now John interrupted my thoughts. He stumbled into the room, his hands and camouflaged uniform spattered with blood, his face pale. "I just wanted to save her, you know? Jen never wanted to become an infected, and we couldn't tell if she was a Carrier or not, so she wore the mask 24/7. But I guess the mask didn't stop her from being bitten at the incident," he whispered, his voice hoarse. Without prompting, he sat down on the bed.

"In a city this large, it shouldn't surprise anyone that there is a huge amount of special infected wandering the streets. Most of the Witches are near the candy shops and sweets factories, and most of the others just wander alone. The Hunters form packs, of a sort, though they mostly fight each other. And of course, there are the Tanks. We were ambushed by two of them on a supply run, and one of them decided to use the cars… Carlos was crushed outright, his head smashed by the front of the car. Elliott wasn't so lucky. The Tanks pummeled him to death while we ran for it. That's when I lost my eye here," he tapped his scarred eye, "When we came back later, his body was crushed to a pulp and near unrecognizable. There wasn't anything we could do for his body. We couldn't even scrape him off of the cement," John choked out, and I felt stunned.

Everyone in this apocalypse had a sob story. Everyone. I had one just like his; only there was a more tragic outcome for the main character (me). I sat down next to him and patted his arm. There was nothing else I could do for him and his misery.

"Kid." John's voiced had dulled now, and his tears were gone, "Do you have a group with you?"

I nodded, cautious.

"How many, and where are they?" he asked, and I gestured around, unsure how to explain. I mimed writing something down, and he pulled a greasy stack of Post-It notes out of his front pocket, and a tiny pen.

I scribbled down '10 people, outtside of ttown, nearr frreeway' in a barely legible writing. My hand was shaky, and my letters looked more like squiggly shapes than letters. John squinted at it for a few moments, and then nodded.

'"How did you get all the way in the heart of the city by yourself? There's thousands of infected here, not to mention the special infected!" He asked, and I shrugged. Telling him the truth was not in my best interests.

"I want to go with you."

I stared at John. _What? _ This was impossible; I couldn't transport supplies _and_ a person (who wasn't a Hunter and couldn't keep up) across an infested city! I shook my head, and John's face fell.

"I have nowhere to go, kid. I've already been left for dead once, and I don't want to be left behind now. I can be an asset to your group, I swear, or I'll just leave. I just need out of this city, and you can help me."

This was true. I looked at the man, a guilty feeling gnawing at my stomach. I couldn't leave him behind. I looked him up and down, measuring him. He was tall, but he was very thin. If he was light enough, I might be able to carry him on my back. However, that would require his willingness. Here went nothing…

'Put away your weapons. Whatever you do next, do not shoot. I can get you out of this city, but there's only one way.' I scribbled on the notepad, and John quickly pulled out his magnum and dropped it to the ground. I was nervous. I was shaky. I felt like I was going to puke. Every instinct screamed at me to keep the mask on, to keep the man from knowing who I really was. Images of Dr. Artemis' face, twisted in disgust in hate, the faces of the people in the camp who had re-captured me, and the faces of the guards popped up in my mind.

My hands tensed, claws twitching. If the man was violent, I would have to fight. I could pin him down- no, it shouldn't come to that. Carefully, I pulled back my hood, revealing tousled black hair. John stared at me, curiosity painted all over his face. _One, two, three…_ I pulled off the mask, and slipped the welding goggles off. Yellow eyes met blue, and John gaped at me.

"W-what the hell are you?" He gasped, his hand going down to his empty gun holster, scrambling backwards on the bed. I backed up quickly, cautious. "What the HELL ARE YOU?" John repeated, nearly screaming the last words, although he knew very well what I was. The gray-yellow skin gave it all away, along with the yellow eyes. I was infected. I was a Hunter.

John dived for the magnum, but I was already there, lifting up the heavy silver gun and shakily pointing it at him. My hands were trembling, and my legs were shaking with fear. I had known this would happen, deep inside, but part of me had hoped that there were others out there, others like the Duchess and Lily who could tolerate my presence and my existence. That hope had shattered. John looked at me like I was a monster, something so horrible to even comprehend. To him, I was something more horrible than the infected outside. An intelligent Hunter- what did that mean to him?

'I'm going to take my supplies and leave' I scribbled out on a post-it, and left it at the foot of the bed as I slowly backpedaled, still training the gun. John's face was the color of bleached parchment, and he couldn't take his eyes off of me. I exited the room, shouldered my backpack, and went back into Jen's former room. I avoided glancing at the bed soaked through with blood, and instead stuffed the hiking backpack to the brim with all supplies on hand.

Once that was done, I returned to John's room, and I saw that he had read the post-it note. He was sitting up on the bed, his legs crossed, but otherwise he hadn't moved. His head snapped up when I entered the room, and I kept the gun trained on him when I headed for the window. I could leave from there, and get back to the others. Darkness was falling, and I wanted to get back before dark. Red sunlight stained the hotel room a deep crimson.

At the balcony door, I laid down the magnum. John looked like he was about to say something, but then he was interrupted.

**DONG!**

The bell! Panicking, I scrambled up onto the balcony railing while I heard movement from inside. John was coming for me, but he was too late. I was already twenty feet above him, scaling up the side of the hotel. I heard him scream in rage, but the horde below was already in action, screaming and howling. A bullet hole appeared next to me, and I nearly slipped off of the wall. He was firing at me. John was firing at me. I snarled in fear, jumping up another dozen feet before swerving to the side.

**DONG!**

_You had to show him, Alex. You had to show how much of a freak you are._ A voice hissed in my ear, and I clawed up another few feet. I couldn't listen to the voices now; I had to escape from the angry human firing magnum rounds at me. I chanced a glance below me and I regretted it. John's face was a furious red, blazing with something more like madness than anger, and he was firing as fast as he could. The magnum was strong, but it wasn't that accurate.

**DONG!**

The infected below were going crazy, already attracted by the bell earlier. The church was little more than an island surrounded by a sea of zombies, and there were now infected running onto the roof, clawing and swiping at thin air while dashing pell-mell towards the tolling bell.

But that wasn't what scared me. I could faintly feel the building shaking, as though there was an earthquake. Something was running rampage through the city, driven mad by the tolling bell.

**DONG!**

My hands were bloody from my frantic climb, and my muscles ached, but it didn't matter. My leg started to hurt, and I felt something sting, but that didn't matter right now. I flung myself off of the hotel's roof, plummeting towards the ground at a dizzying speed. I landed near street level, and that's when I saw it.

**DONG!**

My mouth fell open, but every animal instinct screamed at me to get to higher ground. I scrambled up the side of a department store as I saw the apocalypse barreled towards me, ugly roars tearing from inhuman throats.

**DONG!**

Cars were flying out of the way as the Tanks barreled through, the ground shaking under their strides. There were no less than fifteen of the giant pink masses of muscle, and all of them were angry. Some beat the walls of buildings with their fists, others pounded cars and infected into little more than lumps of steel and flesh. I trembled, frightened out of my mind as the herd of Tanks rampaged through the city. One store collapsed to the ground in a giant screech of metal and in a tide of shale and concrete, burying infected in a landslide.

Cars were wedged into buildings, street lamps broken like twigs, as the fifteen Tanks went crazy. One of the Tanks crashed into the building I was in, and I yelped in fear and panic, frantically switching to another place. I trembled like a leaf caught in a wind storm, praying time and time again that the monstrous behemoths wouldn't notice me, would just pass me by without damage.

The bell had fallen silent, but there was still a mass of infected around the church. That was where the Tanks were heading, over the cacophony of screams and shrieks and inhuman roars. I sat transfixed as the beasts broke down the wall of the church, tearing apart the structure with giant meaty fists, not caring about how many other infected they slaughtered. The whole building was going down under the assault of the fifteen toughest infected, and the church bell gave one last half-ring before the bell tower collapsed, buried dozens of infected under the rubble. One of the Tanks hoisted the great bell aloft, before hurling it into the hotel where John was. And then all of them started smashing everything they could, hitting each other, the infected, and anything in sight, driven mad by the bell's tolls and the infection. And all I could do was watch the spectacle, paralyzed. If I could've peed my pants, I would have at that moment.

And then, there was something falling from the tenth floor. It was a bright orange object from what I could see, like a falling star. When it encountered the infected, however, I realized that John had thrown a Molotov. The infected lit up like a forest on a windy day, the fire spreading from zombie to zombie in seconds. Soon, the whole church area was alight with a sea of fire, and the Tanks were charring black from the flames, dancing around and roaring like demons from a hell I never wanted to be. The infected had spotted the man in the hotel, and like a sea of chaos swarmed the place. The Tanks charged through the stumbling, burning bodies, and they swatted at the foundations of hotel with bloody hands.

If it had been one Tank, John would've survived. Hell, if it had been three Tanks, John could've survived. The hotel was already weakened, but when the Tanks smashed into the lobby it crumbled, tilting over crazily. The noise was deafening, watching the concrete shatter like glass. I clapped my hands over my ears and huddled on the roof of the department building, waiting for the end. Tanks, building, and anyone inside were plunged into the sea of flame, and within minutes the inside of the hotel was alight.

Anyone inside would be fried to a crisp, or be eaten alive by the swarming infected. The crash sent a wave of dust gusting through the streets, and I covered my hand with my mouth, hacking and coughing. Smoke billowed into the air, and I heard the whole city come to life with more screams and cries. The hordes were coming now, attracted by the extremely loud noise, and I needed to leave before something in this hellish place killed me.

My legs felt like they were made of jelly as I staggered to my feet, and my brain didn't seem to want to work. I crouched down, but I couldn't jump for a good five minutes, until I finally gathered the courage to tear my eyes away from the burning building and the spreading fire and get back to reality. I needed to get back to everyone else. I needed the comfort of friends at this moment.

_You have no friends… Alex._

I gritted my teeth, ignoring the sound of the voice, and I took the leap, landing on top of another building. I no longer took joy in 'wall-jumping', but instead was just desperate to get the hell out of the city. I was panicking, jumpy, my nerves numb from all the shock. I got lost quite a few times, practically hyperventilating whenever I felt I was off-course. As a result, I took longer to retrace my steps across the city. The sun kept going down as I searched and fumbled around in the near-darkness. My hands and feet felt numb, and sweat dripped down my face and sides. My right leg was covered in something sticky and warm, but I gave it no thought as I labored over buildings and up walls, panting. I just wanted to pass out somewhere and sleep all night, but not in this city. I would never be able to sleep here peacefully. The night clung to the building of this city, swallowing up all of its horrors in a dark blanket. I could see in the dark, but that didn't stop me from being scared. I shook from the shock and nerves, and everything seemed to jump out at me.

I was scared senseless as I cleared the roof of the building, failing to notice the small cloud of green smoke. I near ran leaped right into the Smoker, who coughed angrily at me. I was so close to it, mere inches. Yelping in fright, I dived off of the building, tumbling to the roof below and scraping my knee. I twisted awkwardly, my whole right leg in pain, and blindly vaulted away. I just wanted to get back to the outpost. Back to where it was safe.

I was soaked through with sweat by the time I found the runway out of Montgomery. My right leg was in so much pain I had to hold it clear of the ground, hobbling along on two arms and a leg instead. I _crawled_ up the ramp, dragging myself inch by painful inch over the unyielding cement, moving under and around cars.

Shivering with cold, exhaustion, and shock, I finally dragged myself the last few agonizing feet to the outpost door. Too weak to stand, I merely clawed at the door, my claws scratching the wood. _Please… someone open the door…_

I heard a slight rustle of cloth, and then the door swung open, and the Duchess appeared, ashen faced, with the others around her.

"Alex, what happened?" The Duchess pressed me, and then called over her shoulder, "He's been shot in the leg. Help me get him inside!"

_So John didn't miss… That's why it hurts…_ I thought wearily, my head dropping down to the ground. A nap seemed like such a nice idea… My eyes drooped shut. But I couldn't fall asleep with the pain in my right leg. I felt hands lifting me up, wrestling the straps of the hiking backpack off of my arms.

It was good to rid of the weight, and I heard people carrying it away as still others grabbed my waist and back. I was hoisted into the air, and carried a short distance. I landed on something soft, and then I was stripped of my pants (not the boxers though), jacket, goggles, and shirt.

"He's covered in bruises. What happened? Who shot him?" One of the survivors asked, a man, but I heard his voice from a distance. I was dead tired.

"We'll ask him later. The bullet went clean through, so there's nothing much to do besides bandage it up along with the rest of the cuts. Rummage through the pack he brought back, there must be more medical supplies in there. Bring me some painkillers…" The Duchess' voice was droning in and out of focus.

The next thing I knew, someone was holding a bottle of water to my lips and I drank greedily. There had been a capsule on my tongue, and I swallowed that as well. In what felt like minutes, the pain slowly ebbed away, but it wasn't gone. I felt the sting of rubbing alcohol, but it was dulled, and then I was wrapped up in something soft. I sighed happily, and let the darkness overtake me. It was so nice, to sleep safely…

* * *

When I woke up again, it was still dark, but I was moving. I was still wrapped up in something warm, but I was sitting in something that was moving. It didn't make noise, but I could feel it moving over pavement. My head was resting on something soft and warm, and I shifted a little. A moment later I regretted it because pain shot up my right leg, and I groaned. There was the comforting touch of someone's hand on my forehead, brushing the hair out of my face, and then someone pressed a water bottle to my lips, and I drank gratefully.

I didn't feel up to opening my eyes, and so I just lay there, listening to the group moving over what I assumed to be the highway. It was nice; to just lie down and rest after what happened in the city…

"Careful! I see people up ahead get down! Everyone, get off the highway and into the woods! I'm not taking chances with anyone now!" The Duchess' voice echoed nearby, and I felt our group stop. I opened my eyes then, lifting my head up slightly. I was inside a sleeping bag, strapped down to a medical stretcher. Where they got the stretcher, I would never know.

Lily was one of the people carrying the stretcher, and she was crouched close to the ground, along with Alice. "Shhhh… Alex, stay quiet. There are people up ahead," Lily whispered in my ear when she noticed my eyes were open. I obeyed, looking on as I was transported off of the highway and into the relative safety of the forest. My survivor group crept on, trying to remain as silent as possible.

"The guys had guns. There appeared to be five of them," The Duchess hissed quietly, "Keep your weapons out and ready. If there's a fight, don't hesitate to shoot them, but we'll try to walk around them if possible. Lily, keep Alex quiet. We don't want undue attention."

We progressed through the forest. Everyone was tense and silent.

"**NOBODY MOVE!**"


End file.
